# The $6,688.00 Disney World Trip - It's a wrap 6/30, Has it really been a year? 3/2 Link to new TR 4/18



## franandaj

*The $6,688 Disneyworld Trip*​
Welcome to another franandaj Trip Report.  You might be wondering about the title...don’t worry, we will get to that eventually, but for now you’ll have to be content to follow along.  Before I get to the introductions, for those who don’t already know who we are, let’s get into a little bit of background as to how this trip came about and why it was planned in the manner that it was.


So a while back, say 2018, we had decided that we weren’t going to visit WDW in 2020. We had two trips planned for 2019, we had visited the World for a day and a half in 2018 before a cruise. We went with my parents for over a week last March, and we came back in October of 2019 for a bonus trip due to a conference we had scheduled in Orlando.  Knowing this, between December 2018 and February 2019, I rented out all our remaining points for our September 2019 UY. We were a little short on cash and since we weren’t going to need them anyways, it was a great way to make a win win situation. Right?


If you were following along on the last TR with the conference, you’ll have realized that Fran was not pleased with the brevity of that trip to WDW.  Perhaps it had to do with the fact that our previous trip had been with my parents. On that trip, she didn’t get to do exactly what she wanted to do, you might remember that she feigned illness to go back to the room, and then I GPS tracked her all over Epcot shopping and “doing her thing.” Well, take that experience of her freedom limited by family in tow, and  combine that with a trip where we only had 4 full days in the parks, and that’s a frustrated Fran.  She wanted to shop at her leisure, visit Trader Sam’s maybe more than once, get a lot of caramels in Germany, and so many other things.  But with only 5 nights and needing to catch up on sleep from a couple stressful weeks before we left, she didn’t get hardly anything-she-wanted-to done.  So she laid down the law.


*“We are NOT skipping a visit to WDW in 2020!!!”*


Now this was a bit of a problem because when we had made that decision, I had already rented out all our 2019 UY points. So we needed to borrow from 2020, not a big problem, we sort of have enough points to go around. But there was another situation. We don’t visit between May and September, it’s just too darned hot. We have a cruise in April, and we don’t like to travel more than twice in one month. We have a weekend at the Grand in March, plus she needs that time to work on the taxes. Band Concerts usually take place in late October, plus we’ve been to F&W in 2019 and 2017, I wanted a change. 


It was either going to be February or November. I really didn’t want to wait until November to tell the truth. I kinda wanted to come back sooner too! So I began looking at DVC accessible one bedrooms with availability. It was really hard to find one where we didn’t have to switch three times in a 10 day period. I searched all the way from the last week in January until the last week in March, and pretty much the only period I found was Feb 3-13 at SSR. We could have the one bedroom that whole week plus.


Well, we pulled the trigger, booked it, booked the airfare and the trip was set. I really wasn’t too interested in making a bunch of plans, we didn’t want to be tied to an itinerary and just kinda wanted to wing it. I just wanted to be there. We started looking up restaurants that didn’t require ADRs and there were a few that sounded really good. Of course we made our 1900 Park Fare reservation, and I was able to snag a reservation at ‘Ohana one night at 7:50PM which was better than the 9:30 reservations that were available every other night.


Back in November Michael (@Flossbolna's husband) told me about a Midnight Magic event (which conflicted with my ‘Ohana reservation), and I booked that too. We had basically decided that we would play app roulette, wake up in the morning, see what places had availability and book them if we wanted. I also came up with a compromise for ‘Ohana.  What I really wanted was the Bread Pudding, and since you can get that at the Tambu Lounge, I told her that if we got the Bread Pudding before the reservation, i would cancel ‘Ohana.


Then we heard that Le Cellier would be hosting a brunch during our time there. We booked that one right on the spot for a late Saturday morning during our trip. Then I started thinking, we don’t want to play app roulette on Saturday night cause that will be busy. We know that one night we want to eat at Jaleo, so let’s just do that one on Saturday night. And Jill mentioned to me that Beaches & Cream reopened in their new remodeled space, so that went on the list. A couple weeks before we left, Scot texted me and asked if we wanted to eat at Yachtsman with him and Vinny. This unplanned trip was starting to become pretty planned now!


And then a couple days before we left, I decided that since we would be staying at Saratoga Springs, I might as well book a spa treatment there. It was during that time that I was trying to nail down our meet ups with Pam and her Mom, but I got it all figured out, or so I thought. That was the extent of the plans, well a few FP+ here and there, but that’s about where I left it. There were still quite a few nights without ADRs and the opportunity for flexibility.


So now onto introductions….I’m not quite sure what to say, so many of you know both Fran and I and our travel styles and such. I may or may not enjoy some ice cream from time to time…..






I was once attacked by giant bugs.






I may also keep some strange company






I play in a band, and against my better judgement began marching again 2 years ago.






OK, well enough about me, now onto Fran. She may or may not enjoy her tiki mugs and might possibly be willing to wait 4 hours in line to get one.






The kitties really like her a lot!






She likes her cars, this is us with our 1959 Ford Ranchero at a Car Club Event






Well...enough about us!  Let’s get on with the trip at hand.  If you have followed before, you’ll know that the day before, I almost always get no sleep, am a total mess on the plane trip and the day before is entirely chaotic.  So let’s see if this trip is anything like the others…..


The day before we left went way better than planned! Even though Fran didn't give me her clothes until that morning, I was pretty much all packed by 1:00PM, read that PM (with the exception of a few things that were still in the dryer.) We needed gas in the car and I wanted to try and find an arthritis cream that our Dr. had recommended Fran try. I had to go to three stores to find it and I made the mistake of being in a grocery store two hours before the Super Bowl. I never saw so much beer and potato chips flying out the door!


I was able to wrap up the packing and even got the scooters and suitcases in the car before we ate our dinner. It was sort of late, but only 7:15 which is when I normally like dinner. We always argue because Fran likes it sooner.


Before completely packing up the suitcases I did this.





Every single time we fly the TSA searches my luggage and they never relock the locks. There are thieves out there, and I don't want them stealing my stuff! I carry my jewelry and meds in my carry on, but still there is stuff in there I like!


But just to get ahead of myself a little bit here.  They searched every one of my suitcases and you know what? They locked every single one of them back up!  How many of you get your bags searched and not locked back up?


Anyways….I'm still trying to figure out how late it was when I went to bed. But I think it was around 10:30 or 11PM. So without further Adieu, let’s get this party started!


Day 1


The Alarm went off at 5AM. It was still dark out. Normally we close our bedroom curtains at night to keep the morning sun out, but we left them open in case we over slept. We didn’t bounce right out of bed, but we didn't linger. I had picked out my travel outfit in advance so that was easy. And pretty soon I was feeding the kitties. Fran hadn't put her carry on together the night before, but that actually came together rather quickly as well.


We were on the freeway before 7AM for our 9:40 flight. That was a good thing. While the freeway traffic wasn't really bad, we got to the airport proximity by 7:40. It took nearly half an hour just to get to our terminal! We did the normal get out the scooters, have a sky cap look at my ID, check the luggage. While Fran waits, I go park the car. The economy lot is MUCH farther away now. It took me a solid 40 minutes to go, park, wait for the bus, and get back to the airport.


As I'm approaching the airport on the shuttle bus, I get a call from a 407 number. My caller ID (which I love!!!!) says Disney Institute.  Huh. That's been gone for years, decades, maybe.


But I'm on my way to Disney and if they're calling I better answer it!


I've had this call before. There is a problem at SSR and they are going to need to transfer me to a different resort. 



Aaaagh! 



When I booked this trip, I actually wanted just about any other resort, if possible, but it just wasn't, no availability for an HA room for all 10 nights as I mentioned earlier. However, once I booked at SSR, I began to see the benefits. We could just motor on over to Disney Springs. There's a lot of new restaurants I want to try, and many are QS. Plus I realized that they have a spa, and I had booked a nice milk bath treatment with a sugar scrub and massage. By the time the trip rolled around I had embraced my SSR reservation, and now this woman wanted to take it away from me!


However, she wasn't just talking about moving us to OKW (which I would have taken in a heartbeat!) Or BW or BC villas. She was going to send us to the Riviera! On SSR point values! By this point in the conversation I had exited the bus, and was going up the elevator. I told her about the spa reservation and she got hung up on that one. Once I exited the elevator I found Fran as fast as I could and gave her the short version of what was going on. She thought it sounded great, so I told the lady I would work out the spa situation later and we'd take the room. She said that she would handle switching my Owner's Locker, grocery delivery, and luggage to the new resort. And we headed to security.


No box cutter nightmare here, and soon we were heading to the gate. I had brought us lunchables to eat on the plane, but I wanted something else so I got a fruit cup. I got a Sprite zero for Fran.  I ate my half of the fruit cup waiting to board and she finished hers once we were in our seats. We ate the first lunchable while waiting to take off.





We were both starving (no Mickey D's on the way to the airport) so as soon as we leveled off we ate the second one.





I always get so fun struck when I can see my house from the plane. OK maybe I didn’t actually see my house, but I did see my neighborhood and could make out the busy street that runs behind my house. See that little yellow circle that’s the proximity of where my house is located.





Luckily the flights were uneventful and I just played my game most of the time. We had about 45 mins of useable time in Dallas between flights and we used that to potty and get some food. We got Chinese. It tasted kinda funny. I guess that's Texas airport Chinese food for you. Doesn't taste like California Chinese food. We didn’t finish it and ended up dumping it at the airport in Orlando.





Then we boarded the final leg to Orlando. No problems, plane was on time. Both flights were completely full so there was no refund on the third seat this time either. Oh well, so worth it for our own comfort. I used my free drink coupons for a glass of wine.





And we began our descent.





We arrived just on time, picked up our scooters at the gate and headed out. There was only a small mishap at the DME check in. Their scanners were down and they were checking manual confirmations. I had left mine at home. Normally I make a little folder with all the details and confirmations from our trip, and place those in sheet protectors, but I didn't have the time for that. It wouldn't have mattered anyways because the confirmation would have been wrong. It thought we were going to SSR when only eight hours ago our plans were completely changed.


Our new plans were sorted out and pretty soon we were on our bus to our new home for the next week or so. Throughout the day in between flights I was communicating with various friends. Amidst the congratulations on the upgrade and other messages there was some speculation as to Disney's motives in changing our plans. It was Michael @Flosbolna's husband who echoed my thoughts. "They likely are using the SSR renovations as a handy excuse to move Guests they feel are most likely to spend on Riviera."  Well, we will see. I have my 1000 points and don't really need anymore, but it will be nice to experience this brand new resort at SSR point prices. 






*[Continued in Next Post]*


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## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*


When we arrived the resort was all sparkly and fancy lit up. I was already questioning how comfortable I would feel here. Kind of like @Captain_Oblivious feels at swanky golf courses or other places like that, and I’m a person who is comfortable in swanky places.

We were greeted by a Concierge of sorts who brought us into the lobby. He was friendly enough but I'm pretty sure he couldn't find our reservation in his little iPad so he brought us inside where we waited in a virtual queue for someone to help us. Throughout the evening we had no less than three people looking for our groceries, our OL, and our luggage. What they did do for us was link our MBs (lucky we brought them from the last trip) because I'm sure the ones that were supposed to be waiting for us at our hotel were sitting at SSR getting lonely.


They gave us a map told us our room # and some directions to the QS restaurant as the fancy place on the roof was no longer showing availability on the app for reservations. At the airport there was a 9PM and 9:15, but now that it was 9:30 they probably stopped seating. Our room is indicated by the yellow arrow, and the two restaurants are indicated by the red circles. 





We went up to the room. It was very spacious. And the kitchen was very well laid out.









The living room area was very nice.





These pictures are from another day, but I realized as we were going out to get our dinner, that the middle section of the couch was a murphy bed.  I’m not sure how I would feel about that if I had kids staying here, it was hard to pull down and put back.  I didn’t pull it all the way down cause I didn’t want to have to move the coffee table.









Here’s looking back towards the front door of the Villa.





The bedroom is very spacious, and somewhat elegant.  Notice the picture on the wall behind my lamp. There is a white cat which alludes to being Marie and the cat in the Grammaphone alludes to Berlioz.  Also notice the hidden Mickey in the wrought iron.  I thought that was a nice touch!





Looking back from the tub/vanity half of the bathroom into the bedroom.  Nice size TV!





I was so happy to still have a tub with bubbles!









The toilet/shower room:









They were already on the cost saving shampoo that you can’t steal.  Disney says they are being environmentally conscious and that’s why they are doing it…..





I was so relieved that there were separate washer and dryers, and that they were full size! See that thing on top of the washer, that’s a collapsible laundry basket!  So cool!





Now on the last couple TRs one thing I griped about was laundry, how sometimes it didn't dry and how the stupid machine-in-one washer/dryer didn't work. There will be none of that here. As I got towards the end of writing this TR I realized that I never mentioned the four loads of laundry I ended up doing throughout the week, because they were a non-issue. I would start the load, say before breakfast and it was done before we left, so I hung up the shirts and put the other stuff in the dryer. One of the days i did two loads in the wash and put the second load in the dryer while we got back from the parks. There was only one issue with something drying and that was Fran's rugby shirt which was fairly heavy and the stupid sensors in the dryer's think everything is dry when it's not. We have the same problem with our dryer at home. But otherwise laundry turned out to be a very simple experience with these nice machines.


OK onto this last closet, I don’t know who vacuums on vacation!  I suppose if you have little ones that spill cereal all over the place, you’ll need to vacuum it up, but I don’t even vacuum at home, certainly not doing it on vacation!





This was our balcony….





It was nice, but I requested a roll in shower. I was set to call the desk and complain, but Fran tried to see if she could get into it, and she said she would cope. So with nothing but our carryons to our possession, we went off in search of dinner. Our only option for food was to go down to the QS on the first floor.  Primo Piatti 





Fran was rather cranky by this point and didn't understand that this was a QS. She was a little put off that we weren't going to be seated at a table and get menus. We placed our order and found a table. It wasn’t very hard to find one, the hardest choice was which one to pick.





In all honesty it was just after 10PM.  The Skyliner closes at 10PM and there is a huge backup coming from DHS and Epcot so shortly after we got our food, the place started to fill up with hungry folks who had been in the parks all day.

We finally decided on a couple Croque Monsieurs. One with fries. 





One with Tomato Basil Soup.





I got a can of wine.





I had never seen a Croque Monsieur made quite like this. And it was odd the ham was thicker in the middle than on the edges and as a result I kinda ate the middle and left the sides of the sandwich, prompting Fran to ask what was wrong with it. I ate about ⅔ and let her finish the rest of it. She had already wolfed down her own sandwich. 

The soup was the clear winner here. It was hot and tasty. I might have been happier with a large bowl of that and some crusty bread. The real loser here was the fries. They were cold, needed salt and just generally disappointing. We weren't going to complain though. We rarely do over stuff like this, sometimes it's just too much work to complain. It takes too long for them to make the food all over.  And we were tired, but at least we weren't hungry anymore.

On our way back to the room we stopped by the lobby. One of the CMs that I spoke to earlier in the evening had asked for the claim numbers for our bags from Southwest. The skycap had put the stickers on the back of our boarding passes rather than staple them all together. I could only find one boarding pass with stickers when I was on the phone with her. But after I hung up I found the other one. I had left her a message, and she had called back while we were on our way to dinner but it went to voicemail. 

When we spoke in the lobby they assured us that the OL and groceries were on their way and would arrive within the hour. They had also located the bags and they were in a crate on the way, but couldn't give us a time estimate on their arrival. 

We stopped in the gift shop/market and Fran picked out these goodies.





The hallways of this resort are very generic and sterile.  One of the first things I noticed and didn’t care for so much about the place.





Back in the room our groceries and OL showed up just a few minutes later, so I started unpacking all that. Fran turned on the TV and found this.  OK, maybe I doctored it a little bit, but you get the idea.





I got things settled at least the groceries and OL, cold stuff in the fridge, and all my comforts of home in place. We watched Stephen Colbert's monologue, and I waited a few more minutes to see if the suitcases would arrive, but ended up giving up and decided to take a bath. At least I had some bath salts in the Owner’s Locker, so I could enjoy that. When I got out of the tub, all the suitcases were in the foyer, that was probably after midnight.

I didn't want to fully unpack, but there were some things in each of the suitcases that I needed, like my pillow, my scooter charging cord, and our contact phone chargers. Well I didn't need those, the plug ins from my carry on were working just fine, but I like the contact style ones better.

Partially settled I climbed into bed. Fran was already sound asleep.


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## franandaj

Quick Links

Day 2   The only way to get there is how?
Day 3 Part 1 The Title of the TR is discovered
Day 3 Part 2 A Yummy Dinner
Day 4 Part 1 We're Back Again at the Booths
Day 4 Part 2 Gotta Love that Skyliner!
Day 5 From Space to our Happy Place
Day 6 All we did today is eat?
Day 7 Yes, Chocolate is a food group Part 1, Part 2
Day 8 Come Together with the Force
Day 9 Part 1 Everyone's a Character
.  . . . . . Part 2 Moonlight Magic
Day 10  Last Day, Back at AK
Day 11  It's a Wrap


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## SG131

Hi! I’ve followed along with a couple of your trip reports to get my Disney fix though I never commented. Was your beaches and cream reservation last Thursday? I think I saw you on your way out!


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## rentayenta

I’m here!  

Great start!


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## jedijill

I’m here!

Jill in CO


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## juniorbugman

I'm here ready to read along.  Good news on the room upgrade.


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## ACDSNY

Here for the fun!  What no jacuzzi tub for you?

I think we're going in February next year.


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## pooh'smate

Joining in!


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## Dis_Yoda

I'm here!  Nice on the move from SSR but oh what a hassle with the OL/Groceries/Luggage especially when it was supposed to be taken care of.  It just feels better to get settled in!


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## a742246

Here's another one joining in..........


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## rentayenta

jedijill said:


> I’m here!
> 
> Jill in CO




I got a notification you posted! I am determined not to fall behind! #LoyalCrew


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## EJ4Disney

I’m here. I can’t wait for this one..


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## afwdwfan

franandaj said:


> This unplanned trip was starting to become pretty planned now!


 Funny how quickly that happens.  


franandaj said:


> If you have followed before, you’ll know that the day before, I almost always get no sleep, am a total mess on the plane trip and the day before is entirely chaotic.





franandaj said:


> I had to go to three stores to find it and I made the mistake of being in a grocery store two hours before the Super Bowl. I never saw so much beer and potato chips flying out the door


So I'm guessing you avoided the beer and chip aisles...   


franandaj said:


> But just to get ahead of myself a little bit here. They searched every one of my suitcases and you know what? They locked every single one of them back up!


Well, I guess it worked then!  


franandaj said:


> Anyways….I'm still trying to figure out how late it was when I went to bed. But I think it was around 10:30 or 11PM.


Not bad at all for one of your pre-departure days.  


franandaj said:


> She was going to send us to the Riviera! On SSR point values!


Nice!!!


franandaj said:


> Amidst the congratulations on the upgrade and other messages there was some speculation as to Disney's motives in changing our plans. It was Michael @Flosbolna's husband who echoed my thoughts. "They likely are using the SSR renovations as a handy excuse to move Guests they feel are most likely to spend on Riviera." Well, we will see. I have my 1000 points and don't really need anymore, but it will be nice to experience this brand new resort at SSR point prices.


Kind of wondered that myself... the new shiny resort had a room open so, hey, lets fill it and see if we can sell more DVC!  


franandaj said:


> They were already on the cost saving shampoo that you can’t steal. Disney says they are being environmentally conscious and that’s why they are doing it…..


It's all fine and good until the pump doesn't work... 


franandaj said:


> It was nice, but I requested a roll in shower. I was set to call the desk and complain, but Fran tried to see if she could get into it, and she said she would cope.


I kind of wondered about that after you mentioned how hard it was to find and accessible room for the stretch of time you needed.  Sorry they didn't accommodate you with the same room type that you booked, but glad it could at least work for you.


franandaj said:


> The soup was the clear winner here. It was hot and tasty. I might have been happier with a large bowl of that and some crusty bread. The real loser here was the fries. They were cold, needed salt and just generally disappointing. We weren't going to complain though. We rarely do over stuff like this, sometimes it's just too much work to complain. It takes too long for them to make the food all over. And we were tired, but at least we weren't hungry anymore.


Well, I mean quick service fries in a restaurant that isn't busy... they've probably been sitting under a lamp for 45 minutes and complaining or taking them back would probably get you nowhere.


franandaj said:


> I got things settled at least the groceries and OL, cold stuff in the fridge, and all my comforts of home in place. We watched Stephen Colbert's monologue, and I waited a few more minutes to see if the suitcases would arrive, but ended up giving up and decided to take a bath. At least I had some bath salts in the Owner’s Locker, so I could enjoy that. When I got out of the tub, all the suitcases were in the foyer, that was probably after midnight.


Glad it all finally made it, but that's too bad that it was so late.  I always feel like I'm better able to relax after I've unpacked and settled in for the week.


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## Captain_Oblivious

I'm here!



franandaj said:


> Perhaps it had to do with the fact that our previous trip had been with my parents. On that trip, she didn’t get to do exactly what she wanted to do, you might remember that she feigned illness to go back to the room, and then I GPS tracked her all over Epcot shopping and “doing her thing.”



 I get it.  We were trying to plan to go back after traveling with my extended family, too.



franandaj said:


> “We are NOT skipping a visit to WDW in 2020!!!”



Allrighty then.



franandaj said:


> This unplanned trip was starting to become pretty planned now!



Yeah, your calendar filled up quickly!



franandaj said:


> I may or may not enjoy some ice cream from time to time…..



I mean, who doesn't?



franandaj said:


> I was once attacked by giant bugs.



Hate it when that happens.



franandaj said:


> She may or may not enjoy her tiki mugs and might possibly be willing to wait 4 hours in line to get one.



If it's 4 hours, that mug better be packed with $1,000 bills.



franandaj said:


> I had to go to three stores to find it and I made the mistake of being in a grocery store two hours before the Super Bowl. I never saw so much beer and potato chips flying out the door!



I'm surprised they still had some left!



franandaj said:


> The economy lot is MUCH farther away now. It took me a solid 40 minutes to go, park, wait for the bus, and get back to the airport.



Yikes.  That's not great.



franandaj said:


> She was going to send us to the Riviera!



Hey, cool!  Always fun to check out the new places.



franandaj said:


> See that little yellow circle that’s the proximity of where my house is located.



Eagle eyes!



franandaj said:


> It was Michael @Flosbolna's husband who echoed my thoughts. "They likely are using the SSR renovations as a handy excuse to move Guests they feel are most likely to spend on Riviera."



 Michael always has a good DIsney conspiracy theory ready.



franandaj said:


> When we arrived the resort was all sparkly and fancy lit up. I was already questioning how comfortable I would feel here. Kind of like @Captain_Oblivious feels at swanky golf courses or other places like that, and I’m a person who is comfortable in swanky places.



Sounds like you'd do better than I would.  I'd be counting down the minutes waiting for someone to kick me out.



franandaj said:


> These pictures are from another day, but I realized as we were going out to get our dinner, that the middle section of the couch was a murphy bed. I’m not sure how I would feel about that if I had kids staying here, it was hard to pull down and put back. I didn’t pull it all the way down cause I didn’t want to have to move the coffee table.



I'm sure we'd make it work!



franandaj said:


> They were already on the cost saving shampoo that you can’t steal. Disney says they are being environmentally conscious and that’s why they are doing it…..



Uh huh.



franandaj said:


> OK onto this last closet, I don’t know who vacuums on vacation!



No way!  Not in a million years!



franandaj said:


> The hallways of this resort are very generic and sterile. One of the first things I noticed and didn’t care for so much about the place.



I kind of feel like the exterior is generic and sterile, too.  Not my favorite theme.  The room looked really nice, though.


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## pkondz

Here!
Back to read later, I'm catching up as I can!


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## rndmr2

I'm here! great start, Cool that you got to stay at the new resort. The room is beautiful. I do agree about the plain hallways.  Can't wait to read more!


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## DVCjj

Was having kinda a crumby day and then I saw you had a new Trip Report plus that adorable picture of Fran with all the kitties on her (awww) and the day got better.

Thanks.


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## dvc at last !

I am in .......
Great start with a stay at RR !


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## pkondz

franandaj said:


> You might be wondering about the title...don’t worry, we will get to that eventually, but for now you’ll have to be content to follow along.


I demand answers now!!!


franandaj said:


> I rented out all our remaining points for our September 2019 UY.


What does "UY" stand for?


franandaj said:


> If you were following along on the last TR with the conference, you’ll have realized that Fran was not pleased with the brevity of that trip to WDW.


 I remember.


franandaj said:


> get a lot of caramels in Germany,


I approve of this plan!


franandaj said:


> “We are NOT skipping a visit to WDW in 2020!!!”


 That's music to my ears. 


franandaj said:


> We don’t visit between May and September, it’s just too darned hot.


Yeah... I noticed that, last few times...


franandaj said:


> I really wasn’t too interested in making a bunch of plans, we didn’t want to be tied to an itinerary and just kinda wanted to wing it.


Sometimes no plans are the best plans. Especially if you've been a few times before and there's not that need to DO ALL THE THINGS.


franandaj said:


> Of course we made our 1900 Park Fare reservation


Of course. That strawberry soup isn't going to eat itself.


franandaj said:


> Then we heard that Le Cellier would be hosting a brunch during our time there.


I remember you mentioning that. 


franandaj said:


> Beaches & Cream reopened in their new remodeled space,


Oh! Is it in the same place?


franandaj said:


> I may or may not enjoy some ice cream from time to time…..


Oh really? I'm shocked! Shocked!


franandaj said:


> I was once attacked by giant bugs.


And lived to tell the tale!


franandaj said:


> She may or may not enjoy her tiki mugs


 


franandaj said:


>


 I love this photo!


franandaj said:


> If you have followed before, you’ll know that the day before, I almost always get no sleep, am a total mess on the plane trip and the day before is entirely chaotic.





franandaj said:


> I was pretty much all packed by 1:00PM, read that PM


 I'm sorry, _what_??? Who even _are_ you???


franandaj said:


> Before completely packing up the suitcases I did this.


Oh! Smart idea. And...


franandaj said:


> They searched every one of my suitcases and you know what? They locked every single one of them back up!


...it worked!!


franandaj said:


> The Alarm went off at 5AM.


Not bad at all. That's my normal alarm time when I work a day shift.


franandaj said:


> The economy lot is MUCH farther away now. It took me a solid 40 minutes to go, park, wait for the bus, and get back to the airport.


You don't mention it, so probably not, but were you getting stressed as the time kept ticking along?


franandaj said:


> I've had this call before. There is a problem at SSR and they are going to need to transfer me to a different resort.


Oh, no.


franandaj said:


> She said that she would handle switching my Owner's Locker, grocery delivery, and luggage to the new resort.


Nice service!
Glad you wound up being happy with the switch.


franandaj said:


> No box cutter nightmare here,


 


franandaj said:


> I always get so fun struck when I can see my house from the plane.


I've never done that. My house is near the edge of the city so when we come in that way, even if I'm seated on the correct side of the plane, by the time I figure out where we are, we've passed it. I've seen my folks' place a couple times though and that's fun.


franandaj said:


> It tasted kinda funny. I guess that's Texas airport Chinese food for you.


Or maybe it's just... airport food.


franandaj said:


> Both flights were completely full so there was no refund on the third seat this time either. Oh well, so worth it for our own comfort.


 I can see that! I love flying "Plus" on WestJet where the middle seat is empty. (Actually it has a small table buckled into it. But plenty of elbow room.)


franandaj said:


> There was only a small mishap at the DME check in. Their scanners were down and they were checking manual confirmations.


This is never an issue for me as in the past I've never had a magic band with me so I've _had_ to bring my confirmation letter along.


franandaj said:


> "They likely are using the SSR renovations as a handy excuse to move Guests they feel are most likely to spend on Riviera


Oh! Yeah, I can see that.


franandaj said:


> Throughout the evening we had no less than three people looking for our groceries, our OL, and our luggage.


 


franandaj said:


> Our room is indicated by the yellow arrow, and the two restaurants are indicated by the red circles.


Far away. Did you find it so when going between them?


franandaj said:


> We went up to the room. It was very spacious.


That place is huge! Very nice!


franandaj said:


> I was so happy to still have a tub with bubbles!


It does? I do see the soaker tub and it looks great, but I don't see the jets?


franandaj said:


> Disney says they are being environmentally conscious and that’s why they are doing it…..


Yeah, right. Same reason they don't wash towels unless you ask. Or change the bedding every day. 
It has 100% _zero_ to do with environment. Yes, hotels sell it to you as an enticement to do so... but it all comes down to saving money. If it was good for the environment to wash the towels twice a day... they'd say it was "hotel policy" or some such to only do them every other day.


franandaj said:


> See that thing on top of the washer, that’s a collapsible laundry basket! So cool!


That is cool! Glad you had no laundry issues (mostly) this trip.


franandaj said:


> , I don’t know who vacuums on vacation!


Definitely not me! What the heck!?!?


franandaj said:


> This was our balcony….


Nice!


franandaj said:


> We placed our order and found a table. It wasn’t very hard to find one, the hardest choice was which one to pick.


That place is dead!


franandaj said:


> We finally decided on a couple Croque Monsieurs.


Um... those look... unappetizing.


franandaj said:


> I got a can of wine.


This is the first time I've seen "can" and "wine" in a single sentence.


franandaj said:


> The real loser here was the fries. They were cold, needed salt and just generally disappointing.


Ew. Cold fries. Gross.


franandaj said:


> The hallways of this resort are very generic and sterile. One of the first things I noticed and didn’t care for so much about the place.


Interesting comment. I typically don't really care about the hallways. (Although I do notice if they're nicer or not.)


franandaj said:


> OK, maybe I doctored it a little bit, but you get the idea.


Nice job. I can't see the mod.


----------



## franandaj

SG131 said:


> Hi! I’ve followed along with a couple of your trip reports to get my Disney fix though I never commented. Was your beaches and cream reservation last Thursday? I think I saw you on your way out!



 

I'm glad you came out of lurkdom! It's so much more fun when people comment! Please continue to do so!

Yes it was Thursday, there were three of us, around 6:30-7:00PM.



rentayenta said:


> I’m here!
> 
> Great start!



   Yay Jenny!



jedijill said:


> I’m here!
> 
> Jill in CO



  Yay Jill!



juniorbugman said:


> I'm here ready to read along.  Good news on the room upgrade.



   Glad to have you here Judy! We will reserve judgement on the whole "good news" part.


----------



## oufpat

So glad you're back!!


----------



## franandaj

ACDSNY said:


> Here for the fun! What no jacuzzi tub for you?





Well it's not a Jacuzzi tub, but I took this picture for you on the last day just before we left.  It's a "Bubble tub" which has the same kinds of bubbles that my tub in the bathroom at home has.  There are bubbles around the sides and jets as well at home. This tub only has the bubbles.  It's hard to see and I had to zoom in.





Those little black dots are where the bubbles come out.

And like my tub at home, about 20 mins after the tub, it clears itself out.



ACDSNY said:


> I think we're going in February next year.



So far we only have plans for October, but that could change at any moment.  We should figure out March....



pooh'smate said:


> Joining in!


----------



## Flossbolna

I am here - and my spy already told me about the story behind the title!! Looking forward to read about it from you!



franandaj said:


> But just to get ahead of myself a little bit here. They searched every one of my suitcases and you know what? They locked every single one of them back up! How many of you get your bags searched and not locked back up?



I never had issues with suitcase not being locked again, but I am impressed that your little not helped. The funny thing for us is that it is always Michael's suitcase that gets searched. Mine only now and then. And when we flew from Hawaii to LA mine not being searched seemed to be the reason why it was delayed. They had troubles at the airport with the luggage system and I think the TSA took great care of expediting those suitcases that they searched while the others just sat.



franandaj said:


> It took nearly half an hour just to get to our terminal!



It was a nightmare at LAX when Michael dropped me off there in November! What a mess with all the building works they do there. 



franandaj said:


> No box cutter nightmare here



I had to laugh so much at this story! How the hell did she get through security - twice I would think unless she picked them up in Orlando - before?



franandaj said:


> I always get so fun struck when I can see my house from the plane. OK maybe I didn’t actually see my house, but I did see my neighborhood and could make out the busy street that runs behind my house. See that little yellow circle that’s the proximity of where my house is located.



I was looking at Long Beach in November, too - and wondering where the area is where you live. Now I know!



franandaj said:


> Their scanners were down and they were checking manual confirmations. I had left mine at home. Normally I make a little folder with all the details and confirmations from our trip, and place those in sheet protectors, but I didn't have the time for that.



This would have been Michael's moment to shine. He always has every single paper related to the trip and is sad when I am quicker with my electronic stuff.



franandaj said:


> It was Michael @Flosbolna's husband who echoed my thoughts. "They likely are using the SSR renovations as a handy excuse to move Guests they feel are most likely to spend on Riviera."



Yes, I do love my Mr Cynical about Disney... 



franandaj said:


> I was so relieved that there were separate washer and dryers, and that they were full size!



But why didn't they stack them? Seems like a waste of space.

All in all I have to say that the one bedroom layout is not to my liking. It feels like you have a couch in the kitchen with the kitchen just being a long line... I would hope that the microwave on the countertop was only to make the villa accessible. Otherwise it seems a useless waste of space... Oh - that might be the reason why washer and drier weren't stacked?


----------



## dvc at last !

We leave our suitcases unlocked.
Mine is always searched.


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> I'm here!  Nice on the move from SSR but oh what a hassle with the OL/Groceries/Luggage especially when it was supposed to be taken care of.  It just feels better to get settled in!



      I had a sinking feeling when the phone call came in that it was going to be a super hassle.



a742246 said:


> Here's another one joining in..........



    And please join in on the comments! It makes it so much more fun!



rentayenta said:


> I got a notification you posted! I am determined not to fall behind! #LoyalCrew



You can do it!  



EJ4Disney said:


> I’m here. I can’t wait for this one..



   So lovely to see you here Ellen!


----------



## cruisehopeful

franandaj said:


> She was going to send us to the Riviera! On SSR point values!


That sounds like a nice surprise. I hope you enjoyed it overall.


franandaj said:


> I was so happy to still have a tub with bubbles!





franandaj said:


> Those little black dots are where the bubbles come out.
> And like my tub at home, about 20 mins after the tub, it clears itself out.


Do you need to do any special cleaning for this type of tub? I ruled out getting a jacuzzi tub when I found out that you need to flush the lines with bleach between baths to keep it from getting moldy. I haven't seen the bubble tubs that you are describing.


----------



## franandaj

afwdwfan said:


> Funny how quickly that happens



You think you're going to be winging it most of the time and then you look up and it's all scheduled.



afwdwfan said:


> So I'm guessing you avoided the beer and chip aisles...



No but they were all in front of me at the registers!



afwdwfan said:


> Well, I guess it worked then!



I was really surprised!



afwdwfan said:


> Not bad at all for one of your pre-departure days.



In the scheme of my life....yes.



afwdwfan said:


> Kind of wondered that myself... the new shiny resort had a room open so, hey, lets fill it and see if we can sell more DVC!



I have a feeling that when I was booking, they hadn't released all the inventory for fear that not all rooms would be ready.



afwdwfan said:


> It's all fine and good until the pump doesn't work...



Sound like the voice of experience!



afwdwfan said:


> I kind of wondered about that after you mentioned how hard it was to find and accessible room for the stretch of time you needed. Sorry they didn't accommodate you with the same room type that you booked, but glad it could at least work for you.



I dont think people (even in the booking area) fully understand the different levels of accessible rooms. A roll in shower is a very specific thing. They see accessible on the title of the room and view them all as "fruit", but we know that an apple is very different kind of fruit than an orange. They don't look that deep.



afwdwfan said:


> Well, I mean quick service fries in a restaurant that isn't busy... they've probably been sitting under a lamp for 45 minutes and complaining or taking them back would probably get you nowhere.



That's pretty much what we were thinking. Also it took laong enough for the order to come out in the first place. I didnt want to wait while they remade it.



afwdwfan said:


> Glad it all finally made it, but that's too bad that it was so late. I always feel like I'm better able to relax after I've unpacked and settled in for the week.



Yeah, that was super late. I was too tired to fully unpack and mostly just got what I really needed for that night.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm here!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> I get it. We were trying to plan to go back after traveling with my extended family, too.



I hope you get to do it. WDW in your own terms is much better than with other people.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Allrighty then.



SHE has spoken.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yeah, your calendar filled up quickly!



  how that happens.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I mean, who doesn't?



Well except that I'm pretty much lactose intolerant, or ice cream intolerant. I generally pass out after eating it.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hate it when that happens.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> If it's 4 hours, that mug better be packed with $1,000 bills.



Your time must be much more valuable than ours.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm surprised they still had some left



Well it is Southern California. All the advance planners already had their Kale and Kombucha. The procrastinators were after the beer and chips.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yikes. That's not great.



Nope.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, cool! Always fun to check out the new places.



Well, yeah, unless you sort of had plans.....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Eagle eyes!



Or just zooming in on Photoshop....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Michael always has a good DIsney conspiracy theory ready.



Yes he does, he can always give you a spin!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sounds like you'd do better than I would. I'd be counting down the minutes waiting for someone to kick me out.



No they didn't kick us out.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm sure we'd make it work!



I'm sure you would.  I didn't like the whole idea where the couch was enveloped by the Murphy bed. Then again when the couch is a sofa bed there is the same problem. 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Uh huh.



Yeah we all believe their environmental commitment....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> No way! Not in a million years!



I know! Exactly!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I kind of feel like the exterior is generic and sterile, too. Not my favorite theme. The room looked really nice, though.



Yes I get what they are going for..French. which is kinda generic. It does look some a French hotel, but not sure that's where  I want to stay overall.


----------



## ACDSNY

franandaj said:


> So far we only have plans for October, but that could change at any moment.  We should figure out March....



We have our family trip either February or Easter week still trying to decide.  Been seeing reports of February crowds being as bad as peak times.  When were you planning on going in October?  I think I might have blew it and booked our ABD Rhine River cruise during that time (late September/beginning of October).

 I guess we really should before we leave March 3rd or you can catch me by text during the cruise as I'll be checking during port days.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Here!
> Back to read later, I'm catching up as I can!



 

Glad you're catching up!



rndmr2 said:


> I'm here! great start, Cool that you got to stay at the new resort. The room is beautiful. I do agree about the plain hallways.  Can't wait to read more!



 

It was definitely an interesting opportunity to stay there!



DVCjj said:


> Was having kinda a crumby day and then I saw you had a new Trip Report plus that adorable picture of Fran with all the kitties on her (awww) and the day got better.
> 
> Thanks.



 

I'm glad that I could cheer up your day!



dvc at last ! said:


> I am in .......
> Great start with a stay at RR !



 

Glad to have you on board!


----------



## elsbit

Following along! We will be staying at the Riviera next month, though a non-dvc studio room. We had a jetted tub on our last trip at WL and that spoiled me for sure! I took long bubble baths and put my aching feet against the jets. It was lovely. I've never heard of just a bubble tub. I am intrigued! Looking forward to reading more.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I demand answers now!!!



Sorry, you'll have to wait as it unfolds.



pkondz said:


> What does "UY" stand for?



Use Year. There are several UYs. Almost all my points are September UY points. But my new BLT contract has an Aug UY. The points become available on the 1st of the month of your UY. Also you have to bank any unused points four months before your UY.

Other UY I'm aware of are October, December, February and April.



pkondz said:


> I remember



Good!



pkondz said:


> I approve of this plan!



Who wouldn't!



pkondz said:


> That's music to my ears.



Speaking of going back in 2020...dont you need to get some more use of that AP?



pkondz said:


> Yeah... I noticed that, last few times..







pkondz said:


> Sometimes no plans are the best plans. Especially if you've been a few times before and there's not that need to DO ALL THE THINGS.



I'm done with "DO ALL THE THINGS". Now its do my favorite and try some new ones.



pkondz said:


> Of course. That strawberry soup isn't going to eat itself.



Darn right!



pkondz said:


> I remember you mentioning that.



Leave it to the Canadians to serve a huge meal with very little choices for the Vegan/Vegetarian types!



pkondz said:


> Oh! Is it in the same place?



The door is essentially the same door you used to go in, and the color scheme is similar, but that's the only things that are the same.



pkondz said:


> Oh really? I'm shocked! Shocked!



Even if I enjoy it, I still have to go lay down after eating it. 



pkondz said:


> And lived to tell the tale!



Barely



pkondz said:


> I love this photo!



What about it? Just curious....



pkondz said:


> I'm sorry, _what_??? Who even _are_ you???



  



pkondz said:


> Oh! Smart idea. And...
> ...it worked!!



Yes!  At least on the way there.....



pkondz said:


> Not bad at all. That's my normal alarm time when I work a day shift.



Ugh.  I don't know how you do it.....that wasn't the last early morning.



pkondz said:


> You don't mention it, so probably not, but were you getting stressed as the time kept ticking along?



Actually I wasn't stressing because we left with plenty of time. It was later than we "set" as our time to go, but we always set that knowing we will be 30-45 minutes late.  The plane was boarding at 9:10AM, and I was on the way back to the airport by 8:25AM.  All the heavy lifting had been done and all we needed to do was go through security.  With TSA PreCheck that's pretty easy.  As long as she doesn't have box cutters in her carry ons! 



pkondz said:


> Nice service!
> Glad you wound up being happy with the switch.



Did I say that I was happy with the switch? 



pkondz said:


> I've never done that. My house is near the edge of the city so when we come in that way, even if I'm seated on the correct side of the plane, by the time I figure out where we are, we've passed it. I've seen my folks' place a couple times though and that's fun.



Because of the location of LAX, all Eastbound flights generally take the same path which is a U turn south and then to come around the Palos Verdes peninsula, past San Pedro and Long Beach. I actually dont really pay attention after that, but we generally go northward and east because we often end up flying over the Grand Canyon.



pkondz said:


> Or maybe it's just... airport food.



No, cause the Chinese food we got in the SW terminal in Orlando in October was actually edible. We finished all of it and it was basically the same thing. 



pkondz said:


> I can see that! I love flying "Plus" on WestJet where the middle seat is empty. (Actually it has a small table buckled into it. But plenty of elbow room.)



For us it's not a matter of elbow room. We both are too big for the seats, so the only feasible person who could sit between us is a scrawny 12 year old girl. The last time we flew coach in a regular situation was home from Seattle. We had a little old lady in the window seat. I had to sit in the middle, and I ended up wrenching my back trying not to lean all over her.



pkondz said:


> This is never an issue for me as in the past I've never had a magic band with me so I've _had_ to bring my confirmation letter along.



I just bring one from a previous trip. I keep them all in my travel dresser. I put one in my carry on for when I get there for DME.



pkondz said:


> Oh! Yeah, I can see that.



We don't need _any_ new points. Well maybe at that new DVC they are building at the DLH.  



pkondz said:


> Far away. Did you find it so when going between them?



Actually they weren't that far away, but then again you've already read about half the times we visited and pretty soon, you'll hear about the other half.



pkondz said:


> That place is huge! Very nice!



We are kind of spoiled. We always stay in one bedrooms.



pkondz said:


> It does? I do see the soaker tub and it looks great, but I don't see the jets?



It's not a jetted tub. They called it a Bubble Tub.  I took this picture because Angela said the same thing. You can just make out the little holes in the bottom of the tub. They put out some good bubbles.







pkondz said:


> Yeah, right. Same reason they don't wash towels unless you ask. Or change the bedding every day.
> It has 100% _zero_ to do with environment. Yes, hotels sell it to you as an enticement to do so... but it all comes down to saving money. If it was good for the environment to wash the towels twice a day... they'd say it was "hotel policy" or some such to only do them every other day.



Personally I'm happy they have done away with the little bottles. Fran steals every last one of them from every hotel we stay at. At home in my bathroom under one of the sinks I have bins FULL of them. I have them sorted into shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial soap, body soap, lotion....I can only use the soaps because I have prescription shampoo and special conditioner. She doesnt seem to use them either so they just keep filling up and filling up. 



pkondz said:


> That is cool! Glad you had no laundry issues (mostly) this trip.



Pretty much. At least not like the one in the BCV room. 



pkondz said:


> Definitely not me! What the heck!?!?



The only thing I can guess is that it's for families with young kids who make messes. But all the one bedrooms and up have them.



pkondz said:


> That place is dead!



It did perk up quite a bit when the folks from Epcot took the last of the Skyliner back to the hotel.



pkondz said:


> Um... those look... unappetizing.



I thought of you when I saw these and thought, "I'm sure pkondz could make a better one."



pkondz said:


> This is the first time I've seen "can" and "wine" in a single sentence.



Actually it was a fellow Canadian of yours who got me to try wine in a can. Allyson in BC takes cans of wine out when she and her friends or DH are riding their horses.



pkondz said:


> Ew. Cold fries. Gross.



   gross



pkondz said:


> Interesting comment. I typically don't really care about the hallways. (Although I do notice if they're nicer or not.)



Well the halls at AKV are interesting, different textures and such. At BCV they are very New England like. There were just cold and sterile.



pkondz said:


> Nice job. I can't see the mod.



It had our last names not the first names.


----------



## Flossbolna

franandaj said:


> Personally I'm happy they have done away with the little bottles. Fran steals every last one of them from every hotel we stay at. At home in my bathroom under one of the sinks I have bins FULL of them.



I could have written nearly the same about my spouse... However, he uses The soap and I use  the shower gel. The shampoo and conditioner though...

have you thought of donating it? I am sure there are people who can use it.


----------



## franandaj

oufpat said:


> So glad you're back!!



    Glad to have you on board!



Flossbolna said:


> I am here - and my spy already told me about the story behind the title!! Looking forward to read about it from you!



   Yes, I'm sure your little spy shares all kinds of things with you, like what we all had to eat later in the week as well!  He took your advice and got the turkey!  



Flossbolna said:


> I never had issues with suitcase not being locked again, but I am impressed that your little not helped. The funny thing for us is that it is always Michael's suitcase that gets searched. Mine only now and then. And when we flew from Hawaii to LA mine not being searched seemed to be the reason why it was delayed. They had troubles at the airport with the luggage system and I think the TSA took great care of expediting those suitcases that they searched while the others just sat.



I know that I lock them, cause that's the last thing I do before loading them in the car.  Once they are all weighed and I don't have to do any switching to get them under 50lbs.  However, most of the time when I get to my destination the suitcases aren't locked.  I had a portable CD player stolen from a suitcase on a cruise a long time ago. Since then I have always locked my suitcases.



Flossbolna said:


> It was a nightmare at LAX when Michael dropped me off there in November! What a mess with all the building works they do there.



They are trying to get it all ready for the 2028 Olympics.



Flossbolna said:


> I had to laugh so much at this story! How the hell did she get through security - twice I would think unless she picked them up in Orlando - before?



On the way there, I think she had them in the suitcases, they're OK to travel there.  Perhaps she just forgot to put them back. I don't really know!  But we got through security fine the first day, they caught her on the second trip through security.



Flossbolna said:


> I was looking at Long Beach in November, too - and wondering where the area is where you live. Now I know!



 



Flossbolna said:


> This would have been Michael's moment to shine. He always has every single paper related to the trip and is sad when I am quicker with my electronic stuff.



I can see that.....



Flossbolna said:


> Yes, I do love my Mr Cynical about Disney...



About Disney?   I'd say he's fairly cynical about a lot of things!    You compliment him well with your good attitude!



Flossbolna said:


> But why didn't they stack them? Seems like a waste of space.
> 
> All in all I have to say that the one bedroom layout is not to my liking. It feels like you have a couch in the kitchen with the kitchen just being a long line... I would hope that the microwave on the countertop was only to make the villa accessible. Otherwise it seems a useless waste of space... Oh - that might be the reason why washer and drier weren't stacked?



I think you're right about the washer dryer not being stacked due to the need for the room to be H/A.  That also explains why the BCV has that awful dual washer/dryer unit.  Since the closet is not big enough to have a washer and a dryer on the floor, and you can't reach it from a wheelchair if it's stacked, that explains that!

And yes, I'm sure the reason that the microwave was on the counter is to make it accessible because it was blocking the switch for the garbage disposal which I thought was weird. But that makes sense to have it on the counter for accessibility.  It was probably mounted under the cabinets in the other units.


----------



## franandaj

dvc at last ! said:


> We leave our suitcases unlocked.
> Mine is always searched.



    Have you had things stolen from your suitcases leaving them unlocked?



cruisehopeful said:


> That sounds like a nice surprise. I hope you enjoyed it overall.



 

It was not a bad trip, and was enjoyable....things will unfold as the TR goes on.



cruisehopeful said:


> Do you need to do any special cleaning for this type of tub? I ruled out getting a jacuzzi tub when I found out that you need to flush the lines with bleach between baths to keep it from getting moldy. I haven't seen the bubble tubs that you are describing.



Actually if that was the case at one time it may have changed.  My jetted tub was installed in 2014 and it has a system that about 20 minutes after the jets are turned off (usually when I'm back in the bed with kitties on top of me to absorb my warmth) the tub turns back on for about a minute and forces air back out through the jets to dry them out and combat the mold.


----------



## franandaj

ACDSNY said:


> We have our family trip either February or Easter week still trying to decide. Been seeing reports of February crowds being as bad as peak times.



Is this for 2021?



ACDSNY said:


> When were you planning on going in October?



We plan to be there for the 50th, so October 1st will be in the middle of our trip.  I need to get Fran to figure out how long we want to stay.  We have enough BLT points to stay six nights there.  We need to decide if we want BCV, BRV, or SSR, at 11 months, and then if we want to try and move to a non home resort at 7 months.  But we will be at BLT for the actual anniversary.   We aren't planning on going back this October.



ACDSNY said:


> I think I might have blew it and booked our ABD Rhine River cruise during that time (late September/beginning of October).



Is that this year or next year?



ACDSNY said:


> I guess we really should before we leave March 3rd or you can catch me by text during the cruise as I'll be checking during port days.



OK, I'll take a look at my schedule.  You said the 22nd - the 25th right?  Sunday or Monday afternoon would probably be best.  We can meet up and have a drink and some food.  I know a place!


----------



## franandaj

elsbit said:


> Following along! We will be staying at the Riviera next month, though a non-dvc studio room.



 

When you say "non-dvc" studio room, does that mean that you are paying cash for a studio, or do they have hotel rooms there not designed as dvc rooms?  I thought the whole resort was intended to be DVC.



elsbit said:


> We had a jetted tub on our last trip at WL and that spoiled me for sure! I took long bubble baths and put my aching feet against the jets. It was lovely. I've never heard of just a bubble tub. I am intrigued! Looking forward to reading more.



I am so spoiled when it comes to staying at Disney.  I love the jetted tubs and we always get a one bedroom because we want the kitchen, tub, and washer dryer.  Not to mention we both like having some sort of nightstand on our sides of the bed.  I don't like that one side of the studio pins you up against the wall in most resorts.  I'd be interested in seeing a picture of the studios at Riviera, just for kicks and giggles.


----------



## franandaj

Flossbolna said:


> I could have written nearly the same about my spouse... However, he uses The soap and I use the shower gel. The shampoo and conditioner though...



She has been filling and empty washed out Ketchup bottle (of all things!) with some of the little bottles. I don't keep track of her hygiene products because I don't use the shower anymore.  Especially now that my walk-in tub has been fixed. I take a shower at the end of my bath, and wash my hair and such in there. It has a hand held shower unit, so it's just as comfortable.  Even when I don't use the tub, I still take my shower in there. Our shower has a window in it and even though it isn't drafty in there, the window makes the shower much colder than the tub which has an insulated wall!  I know TMI!   



Flossbolna said:


> have you thought of donating it? I am sure there are people who can use it.



Oh, I would love to donate it.  There is a time of year where the church where we rehearse has bins out asking for donations of hygiene products, but she would have a FIT if I tried to get rid of it!  She keeps talking about selling a set of the DCL stuff online.


----------



## franandaj

So here is just a little plea to all the previous lurkers or folks who don't post often....please join in on the dialogue!  It makes it so much more fun when we can have an interaction together.

OK PSA over onto the next update.


----------



## franandaj

Day 2


I woke up around 7ish and since we didn't have any morning plans, I closed the curtains in the living room to block out the morning sun, and went back to bed. It wasn't until around 9AM that I woke up feeling rested enough that starting to wake up made sense. It was still 6AM on my body clock, but since I went to sleep around 9PM my time, it was OK, I would eventually adjust. I opened the curtains and finished unpacking the suitcases. Since we were staying a while I always like to unpack and put things in the closet and drawers and such. If we are staying 4 nights or longer I don't want to live out of a suitcase.

While I was unpacking there was a knock on the door. It was housekeeping and they wanted to come in and change the towels or do something. I thought that was odd since we don’t get trash and towel service until the 3rd or 4th day of the stay. She seemed adamant about doing it, and I told her that she could come back after noon. I hoped we would be gone by then since our FP opened at 12:25PM.

When packing the days before, I had forgotten to get the whole bean coffee from my garage freezer so I was going to need to have someone else prepare my caffeine this morning. Fran had pulled the covers back over her head so I knew she wasn't ready to get up yet. I went down to The Petit Cafe and got myself an Americano.





They also had some pastries in their case, but they didn’t appeal to me that much.





Then I went to wait for the front desk so that they could activate my new Marie MB. It came out in December and I was lucky enough to have a friend pick it up for me and then through the friend of a friend network it was delivered just a week before my trip.





Back in the room, I told Fran it was time to get up. She'd had plenty of sleep by now, and I was going to make breakfast. Now remember this is the "unplanned" trip. Tonight on the loose schedule we were going to Trader Sam's and trying to get 'Ohana bread pudding. Fran said she didn't care what we did, or if we even went there. Ugh, I hope I can get her out of this funk. 

But since she said that I decided to do some research. You see when we couldn't get into Topolino the night before, I made a reservation for 9PM on Monday night. Last night, dining that late would have been fine cause we were still on West Coast time, but one week into the trip that would be pretty brutal to eat that late.

So I opened up the app and looked for what was available for tonight and lo and behold there was an 8:20 reservation available, so I snagged it and canceled the Monday night one.

I fixed us a small breakfast. I wasn't feeling like eating eggs, I just made some bacon, the pastry we got the night before, and V8 juice on the side.





The ice maker in our fridge wasn't working so I headed down the hall to the ice machine to get ice to fill my water bottle. On my way I ran into a gal from maintenance and asked if the ice maker should be working. She followed me back to the room and took a quick look at it. She was pretty sure the water had never been hooked up, but to fix it she would need a work order. She had me call the front desk and within moments she was back to fix it (she just waited in the hall). Another guy came up a few minutes later and she admitted that she was unable to move the fridge herself, but the water line not being connected was indeed the problem. 

We took down her name so that we could give her a good word, that helps CMs a lot. Her name was Mirana 

At this point we were pretty much ready to go. Our FP started at 12:25 and the first and last were throw away passes. The only option for transport from this place to Epcot and DHS is the skyliner. While many of you might think this is cool. I'm still a little traumatized that it's first accident happened the first day on my arrival of the last trip. Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola. I have separation anxiety and the fact that I could be stuck alone in a car is a little disconcerting. Even more so is the fact that Fran could be stuck alone and have to be helped out without me being able to be there to help and comfort her.

But we do what we must do and if we have to ride the dang skyliner to get anywhere, we ride the skyliner. 









It was kinda cool soaring up over the tops of the resorts.









However, it was definitely a little disconcerting as the gondolas entered the terminal. The cars approach the stopped ones rather quickly. But the braking mechanism does kick in quickly. I can see how the accident happened. I suppose after a few dozen rides, I will be OK with the whole thing.

Here is me being brave taking a selfie in my solo car.





We took one car from the Riviera to the CBR and then we had to disembark. The CBR is the "hub" for the Skyliner and they have three different lines converging here. Once we finished our leg from the Riviera, we had to transfer to another line for the Studios.

We arrived at DHS without incident and I was only slightly traumatized waiting for Fran's car to arrive.

When we got there it was just before 1PM and she had a thing we needed to take care of online for DL CA at 10AM Pacific so we went through security and then waited while she took care of business on her phone right at 1PM. You know how these Disney things work, they sell out in less than minutes. 

Business taken care of we headed to our first FP which was Star Tours. They had all new scenes, at least to me! It was very cool! She checked out the dump shop with no purchases! Shocking! And then we went to our next FP. ToT.













It was very cool. I love this version. It's so much better than ours was. Ours is much better as Guardians.

We checked out RnRC but the standby was 75 minutes. I was scared off by the fact that the single rider line could be as long as the standby line sign. Plus we were both feeling a bit peckish and wanted something to eat. We didn't want to wait in a line, so we checked the app for mobile ordering. Rosie's American Grill won with the Chili Cheese Dog inspired by @Steppesister even though hers was from Cosmic Ray's in MK. It was a huge amount of food. I'm not sure how one person eats this much alone!





We did a little shopping. I found some Dark Roast coffee in one of the shops, and we found Mickey hand corn holders. Fran won't use those little yellow corn ear holders that we have at home, but she said she would use these.





We decided to head to Disney Springs and Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar. We could get there on a bus and get back to our resort via bus. While the skyliner might be cool, it's kinda lonely riding a by yourself. Even if we don't talk to each other on the busses, the fact that we are in a space together is calming.

Bus service started to DS at 4PM and we headed out of the park and in that direction around 3:45. When we got to the bus stop there were already two scooters waiting. At 3:52 a bus pulled up and they boarded. The driver said he would send another bus our way. Sure enough at 3:59 another bus to DS was pulling up!

We exited the bus to this sign and I took that as an omen that we made a good choice on our next activity.









We missed getting to sit in the diving bell by less than a minute. The host outside was talking to us as we parked our scooters and sort of delayed us walking into the bar. Just as we started to walk in a family strode in without saying hello to the guy and made a beeline for the diving bell. Later they were joined by folks who doubled their party in size, and they moved outside, but we were almost done so I didn't move to snag it.

I ordered the Fountain of Youth, cause it was a blue drink. It had vodka, blue curacao, white cranberry juice, and sweet and sour. It was really sweet, I didn't care for it, Fran liked it a lot and offered to finish it for me





We contemplated some appetizers and she almost ordered the queso, but I wanted to eat our fancy dinner that evening.





She got the Monkey mug drink. 





When they bring you the collectible mug, the waitress told her to give him a name and feed him twice a day.





Looking around the room, they have all kinds of interesting stuff on the walls.









Our waitress told us fun stories about some of the stuff on the walls, the only thing I remember was the coin that got seared into one of the bad guy's hands was on a wall somewhere.









When my first drink was too sweet, I ordered a Florida Mule, and this one was very good. It was much better.









The room has all kinds of neat stuff going on, we were seated near this ancient ice making machine. It would bubble, make some noise, and then it put out one of those cool sphere ice cubes like they serve at 1901. 





We finished our drinks, paid the check, and headed back to the bus. 

I swear for this day we had @pkondz's bus pass cause the moment we pulled up at the bus stop, I turned around to see a Riviera bus pulling up to take us home.

Fran took a nap, and I worked on my notes, took a shower, got dressed, and generally futzed around until she got up and did the same.

Since dinner was in our hotel, I just walked from the West Tower where our room was located to the East Tower where all the restaurants were located.

We took the elevator two floors up, and Fran asked, "Where do we go?" And as soon as we got out of the elevator she said, "Oh, it's just like the Fantasy." Tell me if you understand that reference cause I had the exact same thought!

We put in our name in at the podium, and they told us the various locations we could wait. We chose the Terrace and headed across the restaurant to the door. Now I knew that Ellen (podsnel for those who remember her), was going to be dining here tonight. She had a reservation at 7PM with all her TA folks as they were on a business trip. But she didn't know Fran and I had made a reservation for this evening. Those of you who know Ellen will remember her as a shy and reserved kind of gal who doesn't get overly emotional and do crazy things, right?  Haha who am I kidding? As soon as she saw us, she jumped out of her chair, came running over giving us big hugs, and saying, "Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever," and all sorts of other nice things. As we were getting reacquainted, the hostess came to tell us our table was ready. She followed us to the table and we chatted some more until one of her bosses came over, so we said we would catch up later.

They brought us bread and oil with balsamic while we perused the menu.





We started off with the Ricotta, the description says: Tomato, Aged Balsamic, Cracked Pepper, Basil, Epi





I'm not sure what we were expecting, it was not this, however it was absolutely delicious. They make it in house, and we really enjoyed it. We ended up taking some of it home to save room for our entree.

While we were waiting, the fireworks at Epcot went off. They gave us some notice to go out on the terrace so we could watch them.  Not the best pictures, but what I could get from my cell phone just to give you the idea.













Our next course was the Linguine Scampi, Shrimp, San Marzano Tomatoes, Garlic, Lemon, Italian Olive Oil





It was a huge portion. This picture is after we split it in half. The sauce and pasta were very tasty. The shrimp were overcooked. It was a little disappointing. Last October, for half the price, we had a lovely scampi at Tony's with perfectly cooked shrimp. This dish was rather unfortunate.  We ate it anyways because I think for somewhere around $40 we weren't going to let it go to waste.  As I said the sauce and pasta were very good.

We contemplated dessert and the chocolate cake with a warm center was tempting, but we weren't really hungry after stuffing ourselves with pasta, cheese and bread. We could have eaten it, but we were smart and passed on dessert. 

Ellen and her party were just finishing up, and I finally met Brooke, TA extraordinaire, and all around nice person. FB has been suggesting that I add her as a friend for quite a while now, and we agreed that since we have met, now we can actually be friends! 

Ellen insisted we take this picture.





They were heading over to the Boardwalk to have a drink with MEK. We were too darned tired to do anything but go back to the room.

Fran ate some of her cookies in the room, and had some of the raspberry pastry for a midnight snack.

I took a bath and went to sleep.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> “We are NOT skipping a visit to WDW in 2020!!!”



YES!!!! Woot!



franandaj said:


> Well, we pulled the trigger, booked it, booked the airfare and the trip was set. I really wasn’t too interested in making a bunch of plans, we didn’t want to be tied to an itinerary and just kinda wanted to wing it.



Uh huh... after reading the chapter, I"m not buying it. 



franandaj said:


>



Are these on the 10 towards Palm Springs? Indio? I've seen these before...



franandaj said:


> Even though Fran didn't give me her clothes until that morning, I was pretty much all packed by 1:00PM



A record!! 



franandaj said:


>



  BRILLIANT!



franandaj said:


> Every single time we fly the TSA searches my luggage and they never relock the locks. There are thieves out there, and I don't want them stealing my stuff! I carry my jewelry and meds in my carry on, but still there is stuff in there I like!



They ARE the thieves. I am 99% sure they took my VIP Tour pin and a recent small trinket I traveled with. I don't trust them as far as I can spit. 



franandaj said:


> I had picked out my travel outfit in advance so that was easy



You're starting to sound a little like me. Let's hope you have underwear....



franandaj said:


> Plus I realized that they have a spa, and I had booked a nice milk bath treatment with a sugar scrub and massage. By the time the trip rolled around I had embraced my SSR reservation, and now this woman wanted to take it away from me!



Noooooooooooooooo. LOL:!! The nerve! 



franandaj said:


> No box cutter nightmare here



 



franandaj said:


> I always get so fun struck when I can see my house from the plane. OK maybe I didn’t actually see my house, but I did see my neighborhood and could make out the busy street that runs behind my house. See that little yellow circle that’s the proximity of where my house is located.



I did too when I could see my HOUSE from Soarin' Cali. 



franandaj said:


> It tasted kinda funny. I guess that's Texas airport Chinese food for you. Doesn't taste like California Chinese food. We didn’t finish it and ended up dumping it at the airport in Orlando.



You may have saved yourself from food poisoning. 



franandaj said:


> I used my free drink coupons for a glass of wine.



I wish I could get more of those. I'm SERIOUSLY considering getting a new credit card  like the Southwest or the Chase Sapphire. Still need to do more research. 



franandaj said:


> It was Michael @Flosbolna's husband who echoed my thoughts. "They likely are using the SSR renovations as a handy excuse to move Guests they feel are most likely to spend on Riviera." Well, we will see. I have my 1000 points and don't really need anymore, but it will be nice to experience this brand new resort at SSR point prices.



I think I'd have to agree with him on this one. A new resort at a discount for you is a nice gesture, but I think getting the high rollers to spend at a swankier place is a good marketing move. And you can BET they track your spending. Still... I'd be okay with it. You're gonna spend anyway, no why not? 



franandaj said:


> The bedroom is very spacious, and somewhat elegant. Notice the picture on the wall behind my lamp. There is a white cat which alludes to being Marie and the cat in the Grammaphone alludes to Berlioz. Also notice the hidden Mickey in the wrought iron. I thought that was a nice touch!



I'd stay there. It looks really spacious and nice!



franandaj said:


> They were already on the cost saving shampoo that you can’t steal. Disney says they are being environmentally conscious and that’s why they are doing it…..



That's a lie. I just saw a really cool and informative documentary on how Disney, Hilton and I believe Westin recycles all of their soaps and single use ammenities to make into new, sterilized bars and is shipped all over the world to hand out in 3rd World countries. It's a cost-saving measure. Just like them asking you to not ask for towels daily. 




franandaj said:


> I had never seen a Croque Monsieur made quite like this. And it was odd the ham was thicker in the middle than on the edges and as a result I kinda ate the middle and left the sides of the sandwich



Nor have I. And I noticed the weirdness of it too.


----------



## elsbit

franandaj said:


> When you say "non-dvc" studio room, does that mean that you are paying cash for a studio, or do they have hotel rooms there not designed as dvc rooms?  I thought the whole resort was intended to be DVC.
> 
> I am so spoiled when it comes to staying at Disney.  I love the jetted tubs and we always get a one bedroom because we want the kitchen, tub, and washer dryer.  Not to mention we both like having some sort of nightstand on our sides of the bed.  I don't like that one side of the studio pins you up against the wall in most resorts.  I'd be interested in seeing a picture of the studios at Riviera, just for kicks and giggles.




No, the Riviera is available to rent from Disney on their website. I used my Disney Visa to get a 40% off discount.  I would have loved to have done a 1 bedroom (we are a family of 5), but needed to keep the budget more reasonable since we are doing several trips this year. I usually try to rent points through a DVC point rental website, but have had bad for most of my requests for 2020. I will try to remember to post some pics here for you. We go next month.

I too like to bring a liquid soap (I like the foaming kind) to use instead of bar soap. Bar soap is so gross. I laughed at your wife using an old ketchup bottle to consolidate. I have my own stash of hotel soaps/hair products, so I understand her desire to keep them all!


----------



## ACDSNY

franandaj said:


> Is this for 2021?
> 
> 
> 
> We plan to be there for the 50th, so October 1st will be in the middle of our trip.  I need to get Fran to figure out how long we want to stay.  We have enough BLT points to stay six nights there.  We need to decide if we want BCV, BRV, or SSR, at 11 months, and then if we want to try and move to a non home resort at 7 months.  But we will be at BLT for the actual anniversary.   We aren't planning on going back this October.
> 
> 
> 
> Is that this year or next year?
> 
> 
> 
> OK, I'll take a look at my schedule.  You said the 22nd - the 25th right?  Sunday or Monday afternoon would probably be best.  We can meet up and have a drink and some food.  I know a place!


Yes both trips are for 2021.  We could possibly stop at WDW on the way to Switzerland to break up the long flights towards the end of September.

Yes you have the correct dates for next month.  Since it's just the two of us we're winging it so pick which day and time works for you.  You know we're always up for drinks and some food.  I'll call you once we get to San Diego on the 20th that way you can see which is better.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> When packing the days before, I had forgotten to get the whole bean coffee from my garage freezer



Say what?!  



franandaj said:


> Tonight on the loose schedule we were going to Trader Sam's and trying to get 'Ohana bread pudding. Fran said she didn't care what we did, or if we even went there. Ugh, I hope I can get her out of this funk.



Ruh roh!!!



franandaj said:


> We took down her name so that we could give her a good word, that helps CMs a lot. Her name was Mirana



Aww, nice of you! 



franandaj said:


> It was very cool. I love this version. It's so much better than ours was. Ours is much better as Guardians.



I wished I could have  ridden the the CA version before they deep sixed it for Guardians. Then I could intelligently comment. 



franandaj said:


> Rosie's American Grill won with the Chili Cheese Dog inspired by @Steppesister even though hers was from Cosmic Ray's in MK. It was a huge amount of food. I'm not sure how one person eats this much alone!



I don't know either. It's gluttony in your face. No pun intended. 



franandaj said:


> I found some Dark Roast coffee in one of the shops



Crisis averted. That was a close call, Lady. 



franandaj said:


> We missed getting to sit in the diving bell by less than a minute.







franandaj said:


> She got the Monkey mug drink.



Love mine!



franandaj said:


> When they bring you the collectible mug, the waitress told her to give him a name and feed him twice a day.



I am staring at mine right now. I used it on my coffee table for pens and charging cords. 



franandaj said:


> Our waitress told us fun stories about some of the stuff on the walls, the only thing I remember was the coin that got seared into one of the bad guy's hands was on a wall somewhere.



Seriously?! I need to spend more time in there looking at stuff. 



franandaj said:


> The room has all kinds of neat stuff going on, we were seated near this ancient ice making machine. It would bubble, make some noise, and then it put out one of those cool sphere ice cubes like they serve at 1901.



What in the actual heck?! I need to find this!


franandaj said:


> Ellen and her party were just finishing up, and I finally met Brooke, TA extraordinaire, and all around nice person.



I recognized her before I even read it was her! MY BEAUTIFUL TA!! She's amazing!



franandaj said:


> They were heading over to the Boardwalk to have a drink with MEK.


Now THAT'S a group I'd LOVE to have a cocktail with!!


----------



## juniorbugman

franandaj said:


> While I was unpacking there was a knock on the door. It was housekeeping and they wanted to come in and change the towels or do something. I thought that was odd since we don’t get trash and towel service until the 3rd or 4th day of the stay. She seemed adamant about doing it, and I told her that she could come back after noon. I hoped we would be gone by then since our FP opened at 12:25PM.


So did you figure out why they wanted to change the towels on your first day? 


franandaj said:


> We took down her name so that we could give her a good word, that helps CMs a lot. Her name was Mirana


That is so nice of you guys.


franandaj said:


> We did a little shopping. I found some Dark Roast coffee in one of the shops, and we found Mickey hand corn holders. Fran won't use those little yellow corn ear holders that we have at home, but she said she would use these.


I would use those Mickey corn knobs as well.


franandaj said:


> When they bring you the collectible mug, the waitress told her to give him a name and feed him twice a day.


So did she name her mug and does she feed him twice a day?



franandaj said:


> When my first drink was too sweet, I ordered a Florida Mule, and this one was very good. It was much better.


That drink is something I would try.  I love getting a Seabreeze at our Keg restaurants here in Canada.  Vodka, orange & cranberry juices. Yum


franandaj said:


> We took the elevator two floors up, and Fran asked, "Where do we go?" And as soon as we got out of the elevator she said, "Oh, it's just like the Fantasy." Tell me if you understand that reference cause I had the exact same thought!


Nope no idea as I have never been on the Fantasy.


----------



## rentayenta

Great update! 

I agree our ToT is much better as GoTG! I do miss ToT though; the I love the theme. 

Fun seeing Ellen, she's so sweet! 

Dinner looked good, sorry the shrimp was a disappointment. 

Cute Marie band! 

The Skyliner looks a little scary to me. Cute selfie! 

We like Tony's too! The few times we have gone with the kids we ate there and had good food and service each time. Does it still get a bad rap?


----------



## SG131

franandaj said:


> I'm glad you came out of lurkdom! It's so much more fun when people comment! Please continue to do so!
> 
> Yes it was Thursday, there were three of us, around 6:30-7:00PM.


Yup, my mom and I were there at the same time!  It was quite a trip, it was my mom's first adventure with a scooter and my first adventure trying to play road block to make sure she has room to move.  The Saturday before we left at Epcot was tough.



franandaj said:


> Have you had things stolen from your suitcases leaving them unlocked?


I never lock my suitcases either.  I figure there is a set key that will unlock them all so if someone really wants to steal from it they will find a way.  I've never had an issue and don't typically get searched, but I fly out of PHL and I'm sure they aren't as meticulous as LAX.


----------



## cruisehopeful

franandaj said:


> It came out in December and I was lucky enough to have a friend pick it up for me and then through the friend of a friend network it was delivered just a week before my trip.


Bravo! What a nice community. 


franandaj said:


> I ordered the Fountain of Youth, cause it was a blue drink. It had vodka, blue curacao, white cranberry juice, and sweet and sour.


I love blue drinks. My kids don't understand it, but there's something extra special about a blue drink. I just ordered one a few days ago at Craftsman and was told that there weren't any blue drinks on the menu, but my waiter offered to get me a Blue Hawaii. He said he had to walk the bartender through how to make it, but woot! I got my blue drink.


----------



## Mydustydog

Hi!!   I feel like I've known you and Fran forever.  I've been reading your TR's for a long time now, but never commented before.   My interest began due to Fran's scooter and how she negotiates the World and DCL with it. I'm amazed that she goes off by herself (especially on the ships).   How does she get on and off the elevators and in and out of doors by herself on the scooter?

I bought a Pride Victory10 shortly after reading the first TR of yours that I had discovered.    Needless to say your adventures took away alot of the fears I had about owning my own.    We usually drive from South Jersey so it travels with us in the SUV.  I missed what happened after Fran's Scooter died and you had to dispose of it at OKW..   Did she get a new one? 

Also,  I'm a long time Band Parent.   My daughter marched in high School as a clarinet player, but transitioned to the Colorguard during College and eventually marched with an International World Class Colorguard in WGI.  I admire anyone who can play an instrument and move along at the same time - KUDOS to you!

Well, Nice to "meet" you and Fran!   Loving the trip reports!

Dot


----------



## ShellB8585

Yey! another Franandaj trip report! Love them. After a long Hiatus we are 90% likely to be heading back to WDW this year so lapping up all the details, especially everything that has changed since we were last there (Magic Kingdom was 2012 and the others 2009 ). Although I am also trying to persuade my husband on a California or Paris related Disney trip first  Thanks for taking the time to do these, I really enjoy them


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

franandaj said:


> So here is just a little plea to all the previous lurkers or folks who don't post often....please join in on the dialogue!  It makes it so much more fun when we can have an interaction together.



I'm here, just lurking away and enjoying all of yours and Fran's trips... As you can tell, I've been on the Dis boards a long time, I just don't post much... I'll try to do better... 

Your Marie magic band is adorable!!!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> YES!!!! Woot!



 



Steppesister said:


> Uh huh... after reading the chapter, I"m not buying it.



Well you will see there are still plenty of opportunities for spontaneity!



Steppesister said:


> Are these on the 10 towards Palm Springs? Indio? I've seen these before...



No, they're in Anza Borrego. The year when we had the super rainfall we went out to see the flowers.



Steppesister said:


> A record!!







Steppesister said:


> BRILLIANT!







Steppesister said:


> They ARE the thieves. I am 99% sure they took my VIP Tour pin and a recent small trinket I traveled with. I don't trust them as far as I can spit.



Obviously I don't have stuff they really want. I'll often pack some wine in the suitcase, and I wonder if that triggers them.



Steppesister said:


> You're starting to sound a little like me. Let's hope you have underwear....



I actually loosely plan my outfits daily. Especially travel day. I DON'T put them in baggies for each day.  



Steppesister said:


> Noooooooooooooooo. LOL:!! The nerve!



I know. Now I need to set up a Burke Williams session.



Steppesister said:


> I did too when I could see my HOUSE from Soarin' Cali



Wow! That's cool!



Steppesister said:


> You may have saved yourself from food poisoning.



I think I ate enough that I still could have been sick. It just had weird seasoning.



Steppesister said:


> I wish I could get more of those. I'm SERIOUSLY considering getting a new credit card like the Southwest or the Chase Sapphire. Still need to do more research.



We are putting all our eggs in our Southwest credit card basket this year. We are trying for Companion status. By Fall we should be able to book flights a I fly free!



Steppesister said:


> I think I'd have to agree with him on this one. A new resort at a discount for you is a nice gesture, but I think getting the high rollers to spend at a swankier place is a good marketing move. And you can BET they track your spending. Still... I'd be okay with it. You're gonna spend anyway, no why not?



Guess what? You have already seen our sum total of spending at our resort. OK I may have bought some brownie bites in an upcoming chapter, but in my recap, I'll share my full thoughts on the resort.



Steppesister said:


> I'd stay there. It looks really spacious and nice!



The room itself was very nice, but the room at Saratoga is nice too. Maybe not quite as big, but they have a spa.  I'm still bitter about that.



Steppesister said:


> That's a lie. I just saw a really cool and informative documentary on how Disney, Hilton and I believe Westin recycles all of their soaps and single use ammenities to make into new, sterilized bars and is shipped all over the world to hand out in 3rd World countries. It's a cost-saving measure. Just like them asking you to not ask for towels daily.



I guess my sarcasm didn't properly come through in the writing....



Steppesister said:


> Nor have I. And I noticed the weirdness of it too.



I couldn't really put my finger on it so I googled it and clicked on images, definitely doesn't look like a normal one.


----------



## franandaj

elsbit said:


> No, the Riviera is available to rent from Disney on their website. I used my Disney Visa to get a 40% off discount.



Interesting that they are renting points instead of just offering up cash availability.



elsbit said:


> I would have loved to have done a 1 bedroom (we are a family of 5), but needed to keep the budget more reasonable since we are doing several trips this year.



I can understand that. I dont think I could handle that many people in a room, we are spoiled spacewise both at home and on vacation. I feel inconvenienced when we have to share a bathroom. We have our own at home.  



elsbit said:


> I usually try to rent points through a DVC point rental website, but have had bad for most of my requests for 2020.



I need to look into my points. I may go ahead and rent some out. I doubt we will be going back in 2020, but we might go twice in 2021, especially if we get that Companion status of Southwest!



elsbit said:


> I will try to remember to post some pics here for you. We go next month.



I'd be interested in seeing a studio layout!



elsbit said:


> I too like to bring a liquid soap (I like the foaming kind) to use instead of bar soap. Bar soap is so gross. I laughed at your wife using an old ketchup bottle to consolidate. I have my own stash of hotel soaps/hair products, so I understand her desire to keep them all!



I've gotten into using bar soap at home only because we have so much of it and I feel guilty.


----------



## elsbit

I meant we paid cash to rent a room, so it has nothing to do with DVC points. If you wanted a room there, Disney has them available in the regular hotel website. Sorry for the confusion.


----------



## DnA2010

2 updates already?! Good thing it's my monday!


----------



## DnA2010

Holy Cow!! You've done loads already!
Ok, I just took a break and got up to part 1 of the first post...





franandaj said:


> I GPS tracked her all over Epcot shopping and “doing her thing.”



do remember this! 



franandaj said:


> get a lot of caramels in Germany,



I gotta get back to WDW just to try the marshmallow ones!



franandaj said:


> visit Trader Sam’s



We realllyyy gotta try TS's too!



franandaj said:


> It was either going to be February or November. I really didn’t want to wait until November to tell the truth.



Man it was hard waiting til Dec for our last trip...



franandaj said:


> Of course we made our 1900 Park Fare reservation



Need that Strawberry Soup!



franandaj said:


>



Lol! Is that the peanut butter one?



franandaj said:


> She may or may not enjoy her tiki mugs and might possibly be willing to wait 4 hours in line to get one.



I love this "tickled pink" pic of Fran!



franandaj said:


> an arthritis cream that our Dr. had recommended Fran try.



Is it any good?



franandaj said:


>



I actually laughed out loud at this! Good thing I have my own office!!



franandaj said:


> I had picked out my travel outfit in advance so that was easy.



I always like to do that



franandaj said:


> It took nearly half an hour just to get to our terminal!



Wowzas! When we left in Dec, our driver totally took us to the wrong one..rather annoying!



franandaj said:


> It took me a solid 40 minutes to go, park, wait for the bus, and get back to the airport.



Wowzas again! Busy? Or just the distance?



franandaj said:


> Plus I realized that they have a spa, and I had booked a nice milk bath treatment with a sugar scrub and massage.



That sounds just wonderful



franandaj said:


> No box cutter nightmare here



Box cutters and plastic knives...



franandaj said:


> I had brought us lunchables to eat on the plane



I have a secret love of bologna lunchables..weird hey? I rarely get to a store other than Costco, but if I do, and I'm hungry, bologna lunchables it is!



franandaj said:


>


Oreos?! Yum! Ours have Kit Kats!



franandaj said:


> See that little yellow circle that’s the proximity of where my house is located.



You're pretty close to the beach!



franandaj said:


>



That looks pretty good, but Chinese food is funny that way- can look good but not be...


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Say what?!



I know. I should have put it in as soon as I got the suitcases out.



Steppesister said:


> Ruh roh!!!



Yeah, I'm hoping this will all blow over eventually.



Steppesister said:


> Aww, nice of you!



I wish they would send me a survey or something.  Otherwise we are going to have to initiate contact.



Steppesister said:


> I wished I could have ridden the the CA version before they deep sixed it for Guardians. Then I could intelligently comment.



It was OK.  There was none of the part where you go through the Twilight Zone, you just went up and down. Every time I ride it at WDW I realize how much better that one is.



Steppesister said:


> I don't know either. It's gluttony in your face. No pun intended.



I couldn't even finish my half of this dog!



Steppesister said:


> Crisis averted. That was a close call, Lady.



I know.  Having to drink that Joffrey's swill another day would have been 



Steppesister said:


> Love mine!



I think she has three of them now.



Steppesister said:


> I am staring at mine right now. I used it on my coffee table for pens and charging cords.



Her first one is on the Tiki mug shelf which is completely full, all the rest go in storage.



Steppesister said:


> Seriously?! I need to spend more time in there looking at stuff.



I need to walk around instead of just staying in my seat.



Steppesister said:


> What in the actual heck?! I need to find this!



Well I dont think it really makes ice cubes, but it gives the illusion that it does. It's a big machine on the left as you enter. Had it not been so quiet when we were there I might have missed it. Every few minutes it would shake, make some noises and then you would see a sphere pop out of a contraption near the bottom and roll into a hopper of sorts.



Steppesister said:


> I recognized her before I even read it was her! MY BEAUTIFUL TA!! She's amazing!



Even though I only met her for less than 5 minutes, she seemed really sweet!



Steppesister said:


> Now THAT'S a group I'd LOVE to have a cocktail with!!



If I hadn't been so tired, it would have been fun to tag along!


----------



## franandaj

juniorbugman said:


> So did you figure out why they wanted to change the towels on your first day?



That will all come to light in the next update......



juniorbugman said:


> That is so nice of you guys.



I have to make sure to do that, I was hoping they would send us a survey.



juniorbugman said:


> I would use those Mickey corn knobs as well.



I use the little corn ear ones, but these are going to be way better.  I can't wait for corn to come into season now!



juniorbugman said:


> So did she name her mug and does she feed him twice a day?



She did not name the mug, and it's probably dead by now from starvation!  



juniorbugman said:


> That drink is something I would try. I love getting a Seabreeze at our Keg restaurants here in Canada. Vodka, orange & cranberry juices. Yum



That sounds like a drink I would like!  I need to visit a Keg next time I'm in Canada.



juniorbugman said:


> Nope no idea as I have never been on the Fantasy.



OK, I kinda meant that for anyone who been on one of the large ships, but thanks for answering!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Sorry, you'll have to wait as it unfolds.


<pouts>





franandaj said:


> Use Year.


Ah!


franandaj said:


> There are several UYs. Almost all my points are September UY points. But my new BLT contract has an Aug UY. The points become available on the 1st of the month of your UY. Also you have to bank any unused points four months before your UY.
> 
> Other UY I'm aware of are October, December, February and April.


Oh! I had no idea. I just figured it was the anniversary of the purchase.


franandaj said:


> Speaking of going back in 2020...dont you need to get some more use of that AP?


Well... If I do, it'll _literally_ (figuratively speaking) a whirlwind tour. Like... fly down one day. Stay a day, two at the most, fly back.


franandaj said:


> I'm done with "DO ALL THE THINGS". Now its do my favorite and try some new ones.





franandaj said:


> Leave it to the Canadians to serve a huge meal with very little choices for the Vegan/Vegetarian types!


I'm totally okay with that.


 




franandaj said:


> Even if I enjoy it, I still have to go lay down after eating it.


Ice cream and nap? Sure!


franandaj said:


> The door is essentially the same door you used to go in, and the color scheme is similar, but that's the only things that are the same.


Really! I liked the old layout... hope I'll like the new one.


franandaj said:


> Yes! At least on the way there.....


Uh, oh... foreshadowing...


franandaj said:


> Actually I wasn't stressing because we left with plenty of time. It was later than we "set" as our time to go, but we always set that knowing we will be 30-45 minutes late. The plane was boarding at 9:10AM, and I was on the way back to the airport by 8:25AM. All the heavy lifting had been done and all we needed to do was go through security. With TSA PreCheck that's pretty easy. As long as she doesn't have box cutters in her carry ons!




but okay... I don't have PreCheck, so that would make a _huge_ difference for me.


franandaj said:


> Did I say that I was happy with the switch?


Uh... I was under the impression that it was a pain at first... but after you got used to the idea, you liked it?


franandaj said:


> Because of the location of LAX, all Eastbound flights generally take the same path which is a U turn south and then to come around the Palos Verdes peninsula, past San Pedro and Long Beach. I actually dont really pay attention after that, but we generally go northward and east because we often end up flying over the Grand Canyon.


Huh. 
Actually hoping to _finally_ see the Grand Canyon this summer... but I have my doubts. Ask me why in an email or PM if you wish. I won't share on an open forum.


franandaj said:


> For us it's not a matter of elbow room. We both are too big for the seats, so the only feasible person who could sit between us is a scrawny 12 year old girl. The last time we flew coach in a regular situation was home from Seattle. We had a little old lady in the window seat. I had to sit in the middle, and I ended up wrenching my back trying not to lean all over her.


I know it's not "elbow room" per se... but just needing/wanting the space. I get that. Sorry about the Seattle leg, though. That sounds... very unpleasant. 


franandaj said:


> I just bring one from a previous trip. I keep them all in my travel dresser. I put one in my carry on for when I get there for DME.


My trips used to be years, even a decade apart. So bringing an old band wouldn't have been an option.


franandaj said:


> It's not a jetted tub. They called it a Bubble Tub. I took this picture because Angela said the same thing. You can just make out the little holes in the bottom of the tub. They put out some good bubbles.


I saw you post that earlier. 


franandaj said:


> Personally I'm happy they have done away with the little bottles. Fran steals every last one of them from every hotel we stay at. At home in my bathroom under one of the sinks I have bins FULL of them. I have them sorted into shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial soap, body soap, lotion...


You'll never run out!


franandaj said:


> She doesnt seem to use them either so they just keep filling up and filling up.


Perhaps... can you donate them? 


franandaj said:


> The only thing I can guess is that it's for families with young kids who make messes. But all the one bedrooms and up have them.


Nope. I had young kids. "Oh, look... she dumped her cheerios... Good thing we have maid service!"


franandaj said:


> I thought of you when I saw these and thought, "I'm sure pkondz could make a better one."





franandaj said:


> Actually it was a fellow Canadian of yours who got me to try wine in a can. Allyson in BC takes cans of wine out when she and her friends or DH are riding their horses.


Ah!
I don't see why not... just never seen them before.


franandaj said:


> It had our last names not the first names.


Figured as much. Good job, though.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Great update!
> 
> I agree our ToT is much better as GoTG! I do miss ToT though; the I love the theme.



The ride in DCA was just not nearly as good at the one in DHS, but Guardians is a whole lot of fun!



rentayenta said:


> Fun seeing Ellen, she's so sweet!
> 
> Dinner looked good, sorry the shrimp was a disappointment.



Ellen made us forget that the shrimp was overcooked!



rentayenta said:


> Cute Marie band!



Thanks!  I love my Marie band!



rentayenta said:


> The Skyliner looks a little scary to me. Cute selfie!



It is scary, especially when you are in there all by yourself.  I got over it, but every time we came back to the depot, I held my breath.



rentayenta said:


> We like Tony's too! The few times we have gone with the kids we ate there and had good food and service each time. Does it still get a bad rap?



Did it get a bad rap?  I thought it was nice. We only ate there once though.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> It wasn't until around 9AM that I woke up


What????


franandaj said:


> It was still 6AM on my body clock


Ah! Okay. That's more like it.


franandaj said:


> Since we were staying a while I always like to unpack and put things in the closet and drawers and such. If we are staying 4 nights or longer I don't want to live out of a suitcase.



I'll unpack if I'm staying more than _one_ night.


franandaj said:


> While I was unpacking there was a knock on the door. It was housekeeping and they wanted to come in and change the towels or do something. I thought that was odd since we don’t get trash and towel service until the 3rd or 4th day of the stay. She seemed adamant about doing it, and I told her that she could come back after noon. I hoped we would be gone by then since our FP opened at 12:25PM.


Um.... hello? It's morning?? Go away.


franandaj said:


> Fran had pulled the covers back over her head so I knew she wasn't ready to get up yet.


Yes, I would think that would be a pretty good sign.


franandaj said:


> I was lucky enough to have a friend pick it up for me and then through the friend of a friend network it was delivered just a week before my trip.


Nice.  Good to have friends who can help out. 


franandaj said:


> Fran said she didn't care what we did, or if we even went there. Ugh, I hope I can get her out of this funk.


Uh, oh...




franandaj said:


> So I opened up the app and looked for what was available for tonight and lo and behold there was an 8:20 reservation available, so I snagged it and canceled the Monday night one.


Yuss! Score!


franandaj said:


> I just made some bacon, the pastry we got the night before, and V8 juice on the side.


Nope! I could not drink V8 with pastry. That's a hard no for me.


franandaj said:


> She was pretty sure the water had never been hooked up, but to fix it she would need a work order. She had me call the front desk and within moments she was back to fix it (she just waited in the hall).


Wow! That's a _very_ good maintenance person!


franandaj said:


> We took down her name so that we could give her a good word, that helps CMs a lot.


How?
I mean how does it help, not how to do it.


franandaj said:


> While many of you might think this is cool. I'm still a little traumatized that it's first accident happened the first day on my arrival of the last trip.


I know. But... they really are very safe.


franandaj said:


> Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola.


Oh. 


I'm sorry. I didn't think of that. For some reason, I guess I just assumed you'd both be in the same car, but of course not. 
Sorry for my being obtuse.


franandaj said:


> Here is me being brave taking a selfie in my solo car.





franandaj said:


> Once we finished our leg from the Riviera, we had to transfer to another line for the Studios.


How bad was that? Or wasn't it too bad?


franandaj said:


> We arrived at DHS without incident and I was only slightly traumatized waiting for Fran's car to arrive.


Awww... poor Alison. 


franandaj said:


> we headed to our first FP which was Star Tours. They had all new scenes, at least to me! It was very cool!


Oh! Maybe I need to ride this again. I've been happy to skip it lately.


franandaj said:


> I was scared off by the fact that the single rider line could be as long as the standby line sign.


Really! Huh!


franandaj said:


> Rosie's American Grill won with the Chili Cheese Dog


How was that?


franandaj said:


> Fran won't use those little yellow corn ear holders that we have at home, but she said she would use these.


Why?


franandaj said:


> We decided to head to Disney Springs and Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar.


Great place. I like it there. 


franandaj said:


> While the skyliner might be cool, it's kinda lonely riding a by yourself. Even if we don't talk to each other on the busses, the fact that we are in a space together is calming.


Yeah... I can see that.
Serious suggestion... If you think you'll be riding it more (Like if you know you'll be staying at the same resort in the future), maybe invest in a couple of two way radios? Stash them in your purses (or a locker) when you get to the end terminal?
Of course if you have two phones with good voice plans, then just do that. 
But maybe that would help you feel less lonely? You could talk. Point out things. Just be reassured.


franandaj said:


> When we got to the bus stop there were already two scooters waiting. At 3:52 a bus pulled up and they boarded. The driver said he would send another bus our way. Sure enough at 3:59 another bus to DS was pulling up!


Nice!


franandaj said:


> We missed getting to sit in the diving bell by less than a minute.


Well... poop! That thing looks fun. 


franandaj said:


> I ordered the Fountain of Youth, cause it was a blue drink.


 Of course!


franandaj said:


> When they bring you the collectible mug, the waitress told her to give him a name and feed him twice a day.


 Did you? _Do you???_


franandaj said:


> Our waitress told us fun stories about some of the stuff on the walls, the only thing I remember was the coin that got seared into one of the bad guy's hands was on a wall somewhere.


Reallly!!! The real one? How cool is that!


franandaj said:


> The room has all kinds of neat stuff going on, we were seated near this ancient ice making machine. It would bubble, make some noise, and then it put out one of those cool sphere ice cubes like they serve at 1901.


Cool!

Um... sure, what the heck. Pun intended!


franandaj said:


> I swear for this day we had @pkondz's bus pass cause the moment we pulled up at the bus stop, I turned around to see a Riviera bus pulling up to take us home.


You're welcome to borrow it any time.


franandaj said:


> We took the elevator two floors up, and Fran asked, "Where do we go?" And as soon as we got out of the elevator she said, "Oh, it's just like the Fantasy." Tell me if you understand that reference cause I had the exact same thought!


No clue. Cruise virgin here. (But not for too much longer!)


franandaj said:


> As soon as she saw us, she jumped out of her chair, came running over giving us big hugs, and saying, "Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever," and all sorts of other nice things.


Awwww!  


franandaj said:


> They brought us bread and oil with balsamic while we perused the menu.


Did you have to request the balsamic again?


franandaj said:


> While we were waiting, the fireworks at Epcot went off. They gave us some notice to go out on the terrace so we could watch them.


Nice.


----------



## franandaj

SG131 said:


> Yup, my mom and I were there at the same time! It was quite a trip, it was my mom's first adventure with a scooter and my first adventure trying to play road block to make sure she has room to move. The Saturday before we left at Epcot was tough.



Yeah, that's a good way to explain it.  Road block. People are so rude and just jump right in front, or cut in front of scooters.  

Do you mean the Saturday after you saw us at B&C?  We were there that day too and we left it was so bad.



SG131 said:


> I never lock my suitcases either. I figure there is a set key that will unlock them all so if someone really wants to steal from it they will find a way. I've never had an issue and don't typically get searched, but I fly out of PHL and I'm sure they aren't as meticulous as LAX.



I figure only some people have that key, so at least it keeps out the people who don't have that key.


----------



## franandaj

cruisehopeful said:


> Bravo! What a nice community.



DIS folks rock!  Well, maybe not all of them were on the DIS.



cruisehopeful said:


> I love blue drinks. My kids don't understand it, but there's something extra special about a blue drink. I just ordered one a few days ago at Craftsman and was told that there weren't any blue drinks on the menu, but my waiter offered to get me a Blue Hawaii. He said he had to walk the bartender through how to make it, but woot! I got my blue drink.



I can't believe that they don't have a blue drink on the menu.  Don't all the bars at DL pretty much have the same menu?  I could have sworn there was a blue drink on all the menus.  I think I've had it.


----------



## SG131

franandaj said:


> Yeah, that's a good way to explain it.  Road block. People are so rude and just jump right in front, or cut in front of scooters.
> 
> Do you mean the Saturday after you saw us at B&C?  We were there that day too and we left it was so bad.
> 
> I figure only some people have that key, so at least it keeps out the people who don't have that key.


Yup, that Saturday. We had a late breakfast at Garden Grill then had a FP for Frozen and that was enough for the day. I LOVE the festival of the arts, but the downside of all those artist tents is that it made getting around on such a crowded day even more difficult. My mom was stressed trying to navigate the crowds and I was feeling claustrophobic too so we just went back to the boardwalk early to wait for scooter pickup and DME. 

Most of my souvenirs other than clothes go in my carryon. And if they are in my suitcase they are usually something breakable so I put them in between the clothes in my laundry bag. I’m sure that inadvertently provides a bit of a deterrent as well! 

I’d love to hear what you thought of the loading and unloading process of the skyliner with a scooter at Rivera. I know the at the other stations they pull cars off the main line, but since they can’t do that there we opted not to bring scooter when we went to visit the resort though it would’ve been nice to have.


----------



## Disneykate605

franandaj said:


> On that trip, she didn’t get to do exactly what she wanted to do, you might remember that she feigned illness to go back to the room, and then I GPS tracked her all over Epcot shopping and “doing her thing.”


I saw the title of your TR and decided to read it. This made me actually laugh out loud and I have decided Fran is my new favorite person! Love it! Can't wait to read the rest of the TR!


----------



## franandaj

Mydustydog said:


> Hi!! I feel like I've known you and Fran forever. I've been reading your TR's for a long time now, but never commented before. My interest began due to Fran's scooter and how she negotiates the World and DCL with it. I'm amazed that she goes off by herself (especially on the ships). How does she get on and off the elevators and in and out of doors by herself on the scooter?



I'm glad that our escapades were able to inspire you! She's never been one to let anyone restrict her from doing things she wants. I asked her how she navigated the elevators and she said, 

"Quickly!"   

It's actually not that difficult as long as you realize that you may have some elevator doors close on you, but at least they open back up!



Mydustydog said:


> I bought a Pride Victory10 shortly after reading the first TR of yours that I had discovered. Needless to say your adventures took away alot of the fears I had about owning my own. We usually drive from South Jersey so it travels with us in the SUV. I missed what happened after Fran's Scooter died and you had to dispose of it at OKW.. Did she get a new one?



Is the Victory a model that disassembles into pieces for travel?

She's used my scooter for a couple months while she searched Craigslist. Eventually she found one that a woman had purchased for her husband who never got out of the hospital.  The battery was dead, but other than that it was brand new and the same model for about 1/3 the price.



Mydustydog said:


> Also, I'm a long time Band Parent. My daughter marched in high School as a clarinet player, but transitioned to the Colorguard during College and eventually marched with an International World Class Colorguard in WGI. I admire anyone who can play an instrument and move along at the same time - KUDOS to you!



Kudos to you for being a band parent.  A lot of them work really hard!  I prefer playing while sitting over standing or marching.



Mydustydog said:


> Well, Nice to "meet" you and Fran! Loving the trip reports!
> 
> Dot



Nice to meet you too, Dot!


----------



## franandaj

ShellB8585 said:


> Yey! another Franandaj trip report! Love them.



 



ShellB8585 said:


> After a long Hiatus we are 90% likely to be heading back to WDW this year so lapping up all the details, especially everything that has changed since we were last there (Magic Kingdom was 2012 and the others 2009 ).



Congratulations! That's a long time to go without visiting! Kind of like us before we bought DVC!



ShellB8585 said:


> Although I am also trying to persuade my husband on a California or Paris related Disney trip first



If you come to CA, I can come out and meet you!



ShellB8585 said:


> Thanks for taking the time to do these, I really enjoy them



Thanks for reading and commenting!


----------



## franandaj

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I'm here, just lurking away and enjoying all of yours and Fran's trips... As you can tell, I've been on the Dis boards a long time, I just don't post much... I'll try to do better..



 

It's just so much more fun when folks comment on the updates and I know people are actually following along!



NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Your Marie magic band is adorable!!!



That's why I had to have it!


----------



## franandaj

elsbit said:


> I meant we paid cash to rent a room, so it has nothing to do with DVC points. If you wanted a room there, Disney has them available in the regular hotel website. Sorry for the confusion.



Thank you for clarifying. It seems they might be doing a lot of that in hopes of selling more DVC.


----------



## jedijill

I'm so glad you liked the Marie band...I thought it was super cute.  Happy my friends were able to find it and always happy to deliver in person to you!

Jock Lindsay's looks like so much fun...We should put that on the list of places to go for the big 50th trip.  Your dinner looked great too...too bad about the overcooked shrimp.  Seeing Ellen and Brook would be the highlight though!  I spent a memorable Cinco de Drinko with Ellen and I would love to meet Brook IRL.

Jill in CO


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> there was some speculation as to Disney's motives in changing our plans. It was Michael @Flosbolna's husband who echoed my thoughts.



Ohh you guys are clever! I was just like 'wow! kinda cool!"



franandaj said:


> I'm pretty sure he couldn't find our reservation in his little iPad so he brought us inside where we waited in a virtual queue for someone to help us.



ahhh ohhhh- warning flag...



franandaj said:


> because I'm sure the ones that were supposed to be waiting for us at our hotel were sitting at SSR getting lonely.



I'm guessing they issue new bands with each stay?



franandaj said:


>



I think I like it! That's a lot of cupboards- is there much in them?



franandaj said:


> The living room area was very nice.



Nice! Was it comfy?



franandaj said:


> There is a white cat which alludes to being Marie and the cat in the Grammaphone alludes to Berlioz. Also notice the hidden Mickey in the wrought iron. I thought that was a nice touch!



Very suitable for you two!
Nice hidden mickey!



franandaj said:


> was so happy to still have a tub with bubbles!



Yay, glad it was a decent tub still.



franandaj said:


> Disney says they are being environmentally conscious and that’s why they are doing it…..



Sure Disney, sure...



franandaj said:


> collapsible laundry basket! So cool!



I have a couple these- they are handy indeed!



franandaj said:


> one thing I griped about was laundry, how sometimes it didn't dry and how the stupid machine-in-one washer/dryer didn't work.





franandaj said:


> I never mentioned the four loads of laundry I ended up doing throughout the week, because they were a non-issue.



Glad it was a non-issue, you've def had some annoying issues



franandaj said:


> It wasn’t very hard to find one, the hardest choice was which one to pick.



Geez! Pretty empty indeed!



franandaj said:


> I got a can of wine.



Wine in a can is very handy sometimes...



franandaj said:


> They were cold, needed salt and just generally disappointing. We weren't going to complain though. We rarely do over stuff like this, sometimes it's just too much work to complain.



If it's something I really want to eat, or am still hungry, I generally complain, in this situation I'd be meh too. 



franandaj said:


>



Is that a salt/pepper shaker beside your mug?


----------



## Mydustydog

franandaj said:


> Is the Victory a model that disassembles into pieces for travel?



Yes, it disassembles for travel.  I needed a heavy duty one, so even broken apart the back wheel assembly is pretty heavy.   The other thing that is a drawback is the scooter has to be assembled to charge it.   I had a smaller DRIVE scooter before (long story) that the battery was in a case and could charge separately.  That was great,  and this is a pain but we deal with it.   Otherwise its a great scooter, never a worry about it not being powerful enough.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> 2 updates already?! Good thing it's my monday!



I was getting worried if you would make it here before I got too far along.



DnA2010 said:


> Holy Cow!! You've done loads already!
> Ok, I just took a break and got up to part 1 of the first post...



Hopefully you'll get caught up before I post Day 3!



DnA2010 said:


> do remember this!



She did it again this trip, but I forgot to track her! 



DnA2010 said:


> I gotta get back to WDW just to try the marshmallow ones!



I wish they had the marshmallow swirls at DL.



DnA2010 said:


> We realllyyy gotta try TS's too!



Next time you come, it needs to be an adult trip and we'll go!



DnA2010 said:


> Man it was hard waiting til Dec for our last trip...



I'm sure we will go before October 2021, but it's hard not knowing when that will be.



DnA2010 said:


> Need that Strawberry Soup!



I should make some when it warms up. Right now we have Clam Chowder and chili in the fridge.



DnA2010 said:


> Lol! Is that the peanut butter one?



No. It was caramel. I'd have to look it up on the TR to figure it out.



DnA2010 said:


> I love this "tickled pink" pic of Fran!



She is just so pleased with her hatbox ghost! 



DnA2010 said:


> Is it any good?



It's called Capzasin. It's active ingredient is Capsaicin which is a kind of pepper. She didn't seem to think it was that effective. She only had me put it on once.



DnA2010 said:


> I actually laughed out loud at this! Good thing I have my own office!!



That's funny!



DnA2010 said:


> I always like to do that



It beats fumbling around in the closet at dark o'thirty.



DnA2010 said:


> Wowzas! When we left in Dec, our driver totally took us to the wrong one..rather annoying!



That's why I don't like "drivers" especially ones who don't know where they're going.



DnA2010 said:


> Wowzas again! Busy? Or just the distance?



Busy. The drive should have taken 5 maybe 10 minutes without traffic. It was stopped the whole way from before where we enter the airport.



DnA2010 said:


> That sounds just wonderful



I'm still sad about that.  



DnA2010 said:


> Box cutters and plastic knives...



She's one tough broad!



DnA2010 said:


> I have a secret love of bologna lunchables..weird hey? I rarely get to a store other than Costco, but if I do, and I'm hungry, bologna lunchables it is!



Huh. I've never seen bologna lunchables. I like my bologna sandwiches with potato chips. Reminds me of childhood.



DnA2010 said:


> Oreos?! Yum! Ours have Kit Kats!



I think I'd rather have Kit Kats.



DnA2010 said:


> You're pretty close to the beach!



My old house was even closer. There's no beach near our house. All the waterfront is Marina and docks or waterfront dining.



DnA2010 said:


> That looks pretty good, but Chinese food is funny that way- can look good but not be...



The Orange Chicken part wasn't bad. We ate most of that. The noodles just had a strange seasoning.


----------



## Mydustydog

franandaj said:


> She's used my scooter for a couple months while she searched Craigslist. Eventually she found one that a woman had purchased for her husband who never got out of the hospital. The battery was dead, but other than that it was brand new and the same model for about 1/3 the price.



I assume California has Goodwill stores.   Here in NJ Goodwill has a division for medical equipment.   They have a warehouse sale in the medical division every so often and put thousands of new and used medical equipment pieces on sale at a very discounted price.  Everything from hospital beds, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, canes, blood pressure monitors, and scooters.   I was able to buy a brand new never used scooter for a third the price of what a new one would have cost - $400.     I ended up selling it for what I paid because it wasn't powerful enough.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> Next time you come, it needs to be an adult trip and we'll go!



Fingers crossed!



franandaj said:


> I'm sure we will go before October 2021, but it's hard not knowing when that will be.



I bet, that does seem very very far...



franandaj said:


> I should make some when it warms up. Right now we have Clam Chowder and chili in the fridge.



Mmm chili..I went to make it the other day as I cooked off a load of ground beef (and prob some ground pork too, can't remember) the other day for taco meat, spag sauce, and chili but couldn't make the chili as realized I had no chili powder or kidney beans...



franandaj said:


> Huh. I've never seen bologna lunchables. I like my bologna sandwiches with potato chips. Reminds me of childhood.



Yup they have them here too, reminds me of childhood too, bologna was the only lunch meat we had, and that was only when it was on sale. Otherwise it was peanut butter sammies.


----------



## rentayenta

Yes, @franandaj Tony's used to get hammered on the boards. I was planning our first trip in like 2007 I think and was hesitant to try but we really liked it. Good food and good service. Is it 5 star? Nope but I am not eating Italian in MK expecting it to be.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> <pouts>



I'm sorry. But you'll just have to wait for the next update.....



pkondz said:


> Oh! I had no idea. I just figured it was the anniversary of the purchase.



That would get too confusing especially with resale.



pkondz said:


> Well... If I do, it'll _literally_ (figuratively speaking) a whirlwind tour. Like... fly down one day. Stay a day, two at the most, fly back.



That doesnt sound fun. Especially with the hassles you have to get there.



pkondz said:


> I'm totally okay with that.



Actually, I'm OK with it too, just the friends that we were having dinner with that night wouldn't have been able to find much to each at that Brunch. But that's a few days away.



pkondz said:


> Ice cream and nap? Sure!







pkondz said:


> Really! I liked the old layout... hope I'll like the new one.



You'll see in a few updates. I have a feeling you won't.  If it was the charm of the little place you liked. They definitely did not retain that. On the other hand you can get a table there now!



pkondz said:


> Uh, oh... foreshadowing...



Well not really. I generally don't talk too much about getting home. Let's just say that the suitcase they searched on the way home didnt even get it's lock back on or a zip tie like they did on the way there when they couldn't get the lock back on.  



pkondz said:


> but okay... I don't have PreCheck, so that would make a _huge_ difference for me.



Then again you take a taxi to the airport and dont need to go to the remote lot and back. I'm sure you'd be fine.



pkondz said:


> Uh... I was under the impression that it was a pain at first... but after you got used to the idea, you liked it?



Well the room was spacious, but you'll see as things unfold over the week.



pkondz said:


> Huh.
> Actually hoping to _finally_ see the Grand Canyon this summer... but I have my doubts. Ask me why in an email or PM if you wish. I won't share on an open forum.



OK!



pkondz said:


> I know it's not "elbow room" per se... but just needing/wanting the space. I get that. Sorry about the Seattle leg, though. That sounds... very unpleasant.



That was the last time we flew with only one seat, or in normal seats.



pkondz said:


> My trips used to be years, even a decade apart. So bringing an old band wouldn't have been an option.



We finally surrendered all of our old version 1.0 MBs to the hotel desk upon leaving this trip. The batteries didn't work or they lost their programming.



pkondz said:


> I saw you post that earlier.



Wasn't sure if you read the chatter.



pkondz said:


> You'll never run out!



If I used them.  



pkondz said:


> Perhaps... can you donate them?



I would in a heartbeat, but she would have a fit.



pkondz said:


> Nope. I had young kids. "Oh, look... she dumped her cheerios... Good thing we have maid service!"



But with DVC, you only get it on the 7th day....



pkondz said:


> Ah!
> I don't see why not... just never seen them before.



I actually keep a couple cans in the fridge. Some aren't bad.



pkondz said:


> Figured as much. Good job, though.



I have some more coming up, let's see if you can spot them!


----------



## pooh'smate

rentayenta said:


> Yes, @franandaj Tony's used to get hammered on the boards. I was planning our first trip in like 2007 I think and was hesitant to try but we really liked it. Good food and good service. Is it 5 star? Nope but I am not eating Italian in MK expecting it to be.



We tried Tony's on our first trip in 2011 because of your review and we liked it.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I'm sorry. But you'll just have to wait for the next update.....


Oh yeah? Well, maybe I'll just keep reading! So there!


franandaj said:


> That would get too confusing especially with resale.


Huh. If you say so. I really have no idea.


franandaj said:


> That doesnt sound fun. Especially with the hassles you have to get there.


Nah. If it's a quickie, then I only have a carry-on. Makes it quicker at customs.


franandaj said:


> You'll see in a few updates.





franandaj said:


> I have a feeling you won't


oh...


franandaj said:


> If it was the charm of the little place you liked. They definitely did not retain that. On the other hand you can get a table there now!


Too bad. I _did_ like the charm. And... I never really had trouble getting a table.


franandaj said:


> Let's just say that the suitcase they searched on the way home didnt even get it's lock back on or a zip tie like they did on the way there when they couldn't get the lock back on.





franandaj said:


> Then again you take a taxi to the airport and dont need to go to the remote lot and back. I'm sure you'd be fine.


This is true. 


franandaj said:


> Well the room was spacious, but you'll see as things unfold over the week.


Uh, oh...


franandaj said:


> I would in a heartbeat, but she would have a fit.


well... poop. Do it and "forget" to mention it? Does she actually check the stash?
No. Nevermind… that wouldn't be very honest.


franandaj said:


> But with DVC, you only get it on the 7th day....


Ohhhh… right.


franandaj said:


> I have some more coming up, let's see if you can spot them!


Okay!


----------



## disneydreamer1980

Following along! Can’t wait to read more!


----------



## ljcrochet

I'm coming out of lurking to say hello.  I always enjoy reading your adventures. 


franandaj said:


> Personally I'm happy they have done away with the little bottles. Fran steals every last one of them from every hotel we stay at. At home in my bathroom under one of the sinks I have bins FULL of them. I have them sorted into shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial soap, body soap, lotion....I can only use the soaps because I have prescription shampoo and special conditioner. She doesnt seem to use them either so they just keep filling up and filling up.


We have a ton of the disney shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion.  I have them out in both guest bathrooms plus the extra in the vanity and the linen closet.  I took them on my last royal caribbean cruise, but forgot to take the body lotion.


franandaj said:


> I'd be interested in seeing a picture of the studios at Riviera, just for kicks and giggles.


I can't believe you got upgraded from SSR to Riviera.  I can't wait to hear what else happened to you with the upgrade.  The last 2 DVC room changes we had resulted in us calling members services to fix their screw ups.  One was being charged for parking at VGF, other was at boardwalk.  Our room got downgraded so the extra points that we had borrowed went into holding.  We got them back in the correct use year.

We are staying in a tower studio over the summer.  I can't wait to check out Riviera .  Not sure if we have any plans for that trip yet.


----------



## tiggrbaby

All caught up!

You always have the most delicious drinks!

The room is lovely!

We rode the Skyliner once just to try it.  I can't imagine having to go it alone!

Was the Brooke you met Brookelizabeth from the boards?  I used to read her TRs years ago.  She seemed like a very sweet and genuine person.


----------



## afwdwfan

franandaj said:


> While I was unpacking there was a knock on the door. It was housekeeping and they wanted to come in and change the towels or do something. I thought that was odd since we don’t get trash and towel service until the 3rd or 4th day of the stay. She seemed adamant about doing it, and I told her that she could come back after noon.


Time for your daily security sweep!  


franandaj said:


> Back in the room, I told Fran it was time to get up. She'd had plenty of sleep by now, and I was going to make breakfast. Now remember this is the "unplanned" trip. Tonight on the loose schedule we were going to Trader Sam's and trying to get 'Ohana bread pudding. Fran said she didn't care what we did, or if we even went there. Ugh, I hope I can get her out of this funk.


But she wanted to go because she didn't get to do the things she wanted with your parents!  It's time to wake up, Fran!  


franandaj said:


> We took down her name so that we could give her a good word, that helps CMs a lot. Her name was Mirana


That's fantastic.  I'm glad that you found someone so willing to be that helpful for you! 


franandaj said:


> Our FP started at 12:25 and the first and last were throw away passes. The only option for transport from this place to Epcot and DHS is the skyliner. While many of you might think this is cool. I'm still a little traumatized that it's first accident happened the first day on my arrival of the last trip. Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola. I have separation anxiety and the fact that I could be stuck alone in a car is a little disconcerting. Even more so is the fact that Fran could be stuck alone and have to be helped out without me being able to be there to help and comfort her.


While I like the speed and convenience of the Skyliner (AKA don't have to wait 20 minutes for a bus), I wasn't aware of the accessibility issues surrounding it.  This doesn't sound like a great system.  They really should still offer more regular bus service from the Skyliner resorts so that people have an option. 


franandaj said:


> Bus service started to DS at 4PM and we headed out of the park and in that direction around 3:45. When we got to the bus stop there were already two scooters waiting. At 3:52 a bus pulled up and they boarded. The driver said he would send another bus our way. Sure enough at 3:59 another bus to DS was pulling up!


That's some great service! 


franandaj said:


> Looking around the room, they have all kinds of interesting stuff on the walls.


  I love Jock Lindsey's.  Sorry you missed out on the diving bell.


franandaj said:


> As soon as she saw us, she jumped out of her chair, came running over giving us big hugs, and saying, "Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever," and all sorts of other nice things. As we were getting reacquainted, the hostess came to tell us our table was ready. She followed us to the table and we chatted some more until one of her bosses came over, so we said we would catch up later.


Awesome Dis meet!  


franandaj said:


> While we were waiting, the fireworks at Epcot went off. They gave us some notice to go out on the terrace so we could watch them. Not the best pictures, but what I could get from my cell phone just to give you the idea.


I'm glad that you were able to be there for that.  Seems to be one of the highlights of that restaurant!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> Since we were staying a while I always like to unpack and put things in the closet and drawers and such. If we are staying 4 nights or longer I don't want to live out of a suitcase.



We always unpack, we even unpack for our ski hill trips, which are generally only 2 nights...



franandaj said:


> t was housekeeping and they wanted to come in and change the towels or do something. I thought that was odd since we don’t get trash and towel service until the 3rd or 4th day of the stay. She seemed adamant about doing it, and I told her that she could come back after noon



How odd- I wonder if the old booking had different dates and some sort of list wasn't updated. 



franandaj said:


> got myself an Americano.



D's fav are Americano's..I like my Lattes



franandaj said:


>



That's adorable, and soo perfect for you!



franandaj said:


> Tonight on the loose schedule we were going to Trader Sam's and trying to get 'Ohana bread pudding.



I want to go to 'Ohana so bad, it's always been so popular on here



franandaj said:


> We took down her name so that we could give her a good word, that helps CMs a lot. Her name was Mirana



We try to do this also, forward compliments with names.




franandaj said:


> it's first accident happened the first day on my arrival of the last trip.



I remember messaging with you about this- as I was reading about it almost live, and didn't know when you guys had got there



franandaj said:


> Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola.



Ohh only  one per car- would it be a tight fit to have 2 in there?



franandaj said:


> Even more so is the fact that Fran could be stuck alone and have to be helped out without me being able to be there to help and comfort her.



❤



franandaj said:


> The CBR is the "hub" for the Skyliner and they have three different lines converging here.



Was it busy in the hub?



franandaj said:


> she had a thing we needed to take care of online for DL CA at 10AM Pacific so we went through security and then waited while she took care of business on her phone right at 1PM. You know how these Disney things work, they sell out in less than minutes.



Glad you got it! 



franandaj said:


> our first FP which was Star Tours. They had all new scenes, at least to me! It was very cool! S



We still love ST's, always been a fav for sure



franandaj said:


> It was very cool. I love this version. It's so much better than ours was. Ours is much better as Guardians.



Agree agree agree! Loved the TOT at WDW but love love love Guardians, it's just sooo much fun!



franandaj said:


>



Agreed, that's a big dog!



franandaj said:


> I found some Dark Roast coffee in one of the shops



Is it good coffee?



franandaj said:


> We missed getting to sit in the diving bell by less than a minute.



Oh do tell? I could google it I suppose too



franandaj said:


> When they bring you the collectible mug, the waitress told her to give him a name and feed him twice a day.


LOL too funny! Fran has a few to feed I suppose 



franandaj said:


>



I like this pic a lot! It's  kinda artsy, but not over the top



franandaj said:


> The room has all kinds of neat stuff going on, we were seated near this ancient ice making machine. It would bubble, make some noise, and then it put out one of those cool sphere ice cubes like they serve at 1901.



I would want to sit by that machine! too cool!
 1901 



franandaj said:


> As soon as she saw us, she jumped out of her chair, came running over giving us big hugs, and saying, "Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever," and all sorts of other nice things.



Awww! that's great



franandaj said:


> We started off with the Ricotta, the description says: Tomato, Aged Balsamic, Cracked Pepper, Basil,



Yum, I'm quite fond of these sort of soft cheeses



franandaj said:


> Ellen insisted we take this picture.



Happy Disney folks!!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> They also had some pastries in their case, but they didn’t appeal to me that much.



They look good to me!



franandaj said:


> Fran said she didn't care what we did, or if we even went there. Ugh, I hope I can get her out of this funk.



Oh, this is gonna be a fun trip!  What happened to Ms. WE HAVE TO GO TO WDW THIS YEAR?



franandaj said:


> Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola.



Huh.  That's kind of annoying.



franandaj said:


> Business taken care of we headed to our first FP which was Star Tours. They had all new scenes, at least to me! It was very cool!



Nice!



franandaj said:


> She checked out the dump shop with no purchases! Shocking!



   



franandaj said:


> Fran won't use those little yellow corn ear holders that we have at home, but she said she would use these.



I've never heard of a corn holder snob before.



franandaj said:


> We missed getting to sit in the diving bell by less than a minute.



Aw, man.  That would be cool.



franandaj said:


> When they bring you the collectible mug, the waitress told her to give him a name and feed him twice a day.



And his name is...?



franandaj said:


> Our waitress told us fun stories about some of the stuff on the walls, the only thing I remember was the coin that got seared into one of the bad guy's hands was on a wall somewhere.



Nice!  Now I'm going to have to find it.



franandaj said:


> The room has all kinds of neat stuff going on, we were seated near this ancient ice making machine. It would bubble, make some noise, and then it put out one of those cool sphere ice cubes like they serve at 1901.



This place sounds awesome.  I really need to check it out someday.



franandaj said:


> I swear for this day we had @pkondz's bus pass cause the moment we pulled up at the bus stop, I turned around to see a Riviera bus pulling up to take us home.



Someday I really want to know what that bus pass feels like.



franandaj said:


> We took the elevator two floors up, and Fran asked, "Where do we go?" And as soon as we got out of the elevator she said, "Oh, it's just like the Fantasy." Tell me if you understand that reference cause I had the exact same thought!







franandaj said:


> Now I knew that Ellen (podsnel for those who remember her), was going to be dining here tonight. She had a reservation at 7PM with all her TA folks as they were on a business trip. But she didn't know Fran and I had made a reservation for this evening. Those of you who know Ellen will remember her as a shy and reserved kind of gal who doesn't get overly emotional and do crazy things, right? Haha who am I kidding? As soon as she saw us, she jumped out of her chair, came running over giving us big hugs, and saying, "Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever," and all sorts of other nice things.



Oh, nice!  I'm glad you got to catch up with Ellen!



franandaj said:


>



That looks like a nice spot to watch the show!



franandaj said:


> Ellen and her party were just finishing up, and I finally met Brooke, TA extraordinaire, and all around nice person. FB has been suggesting that I add her as a friend for quite a while now, and we agreed that since we have met, now we can actually be friends!



She shows up on my feed all the time, too.  Never once spoken to her!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> What????



I know. I know. I was pretty tired going into this trip. And I don't push myself on vacation.  I'm too old for that.



pkondz said:


> Ah! Okay. That's more like it.



It gets better....



pkondz said:


> I'll unpack if I'm staying more than _one_ night.



Well, I guess it depends what you mean by "unpack".....I take things out of the suitcase if I'm staying two nights, but I don't generally put stuff in drawers, hang up other clothes for less than 4 nights.



pkondz said:


> Um.... hello? It's morning?? Go away.



More like we're DVC, you're not supposed to come until Thursday.



pkondz said:


> Yes, I would think that would be a pretty good sign.



I hadn't unpacked her eye shade yet, or at least put it where she knew where to find it. 



pkondz said:


> Nice.  Good to have friends who can help out.



  Fellow Disney crazies are good to have!



pkondz said:


> Uh, oh...



She's finally starting to come out of it.



pkondz said:


> Yuss! Score



 



pkondz said:


> Nope! I could not drink V8 with pastry. That's a hard no for me.



Well I drank the coffee with the pastry (which would be an even harder no for you), and then drank the V8 after, so sequentially. We need our morning veggies if we're going to eat kinda crappy the rest of the day.



pkondz said:


> Wow! That's a _very_ good maintenance person!



Yes she was!



pkondz said:


> How?
> I mean how does it help, not how to do it.



If CMs are specifically mentioned by guests, it goes a long way towards their performance evaluations. 



pkondz said:


> I know. But... they really are very safe.



But....



pkondz said:


> Oh.
> 
> 
> I'm sorry. I didn't think of that. For some reason, I guess I just assumed you'd both be in the same car, but of course not.
> Sorry for my being obtuse.



There really isn't room for two scooters in one of them. Once you get in they put blocks behind your back wheels to keep you from rolling anywhere. 



pkondz said:


> How bad was that? Or wasn't it too bad?



The times when we went through there (which weren't generally peak times) there was no waiting. We would just go from the Riviera Line to the DHS line.



pkondz said:


> Awww... poor Alison.



I just have separation anxiety. Makes no sense. I also get ancy when she is out of phone communication. There is a story that once I was out at DL and couldn't get her on the phone for over an hour. She was much sicker then, and we actually left the park for a wellness check. And then came right back when she had simply left her phone in the bathroom.



pkondz said:


> Oh! Maybe I need to ride this again. I've been happy to skip it lately.



I believe they were scenes from the most recent movie, but since I hadn't actually seen it, at that time, I didn't really know.



pkondz said:


> How was that?



It was very good, but a LOT of food!



pkondz said:


> Why?



Evidently they are too small for her arthritic hands.



pkondz said:


> Great place. I like it there.







pkondz said:


> Yeah... I can see that.
> Serious suggestion... If you think you'll be riding it more (Like if you know you'll be staying at the same resort in the future), maybe invest in a couple of two way radios? Stash them in your purses (or a locker) when you get to the end terminal?
> Of course if you have two phones with good voice plans, then just do that.
> But maybe that would help you feel less lonely? You could talk. Point out things. Just be reassured.



By the end of the trip, she would text me. I got less jittery about riding it. I doubt we will have this problem in the future. 



pkondz said:


> Well... poop! That thing looks fun.



I know. I was bummed when that family walked right to it.



pkondz said:


> Did you? _Do you???_



I think the poor thing died. It's still in the suitcase! 



pkondz said:


> Reallly!!! The real one? How cool is that!



I don't know.  I didn't get up to look for it, but that's what she said!



pkondz said:


> Cool!
> 
> Um... sure, what the heck. Pun intended!







pkondz said:


> You're welcome to borrow it any time.



Well thanks. We actually had mostly good luck this time.



pkondz said:


> No clue.



Yeah, none of my cruising friends seem to be reading along, so, poop.



pkondz said:


> Did you have to request the balsamic again?



I don't think so, but I don't really remember.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I know. I know. I was pretty tired going into this trip. And I don't push myself on vacation. I'm too old for that.


I'm slowing down, myself... but... I suspect if I don't get back for a while (not counting any last minute whirlwind tours prior to AP expiring), that I'll be speeding up again.


franandaj said:


> Well, I guess it depends what you mean by "unpack".....I take things out of the suitcase if I'm staying two nights, but I don't generally put stuff in drawers, hang up other clothes for less than 4 nights.


I put them in drawers. And hang stuff. But it _has_ to be for more than one night. 


franandaj said:


> More like we're DVC, you're not supposed to come until Thursday.


That too.


franandaj said:


> I hadn't unpacked her eye shade yet, or at least put it where she knew where to find it.


what shade was it? Umber? Puce?


franandaj said:


> Fellow Disney crazies are good to have!







franandaj said:


> Well I drank the coffee with the pastry (which would be an even harder no for you),


Correct.


franandaj said:


> and then drank the V8 after, so sequentially.


Ah. Yes, that I could (and would) do. 


franandaj said:


> We need our morning veggies if we're going to eat kinda crappy the rest of the day.


 Okay, that I understand!


franandaj said:


> If CMs are specifically mentioned by guests, it goes a long way towards their performance evaluations.


Ah! Okay, I didn't know that. Good... _Very_ good to know!


franandaj said:


> There really isn't room for two scooters in one of them. Once you get in they put blocks behind your back wheels to keep you from rolling anywhere.


Yeah, I should've thought of that. I did see them last I was there. They're not giant gondolas.


franandaj said:


> The times when we went through there (which weren't generally peak times) there was no waiting. We would just go from the Riviera Line to the DHS line.


Not bad!


franandaj said:


> I just have separation anxiety. Makes no sense. I also get ancy when she is out of phone communication. There is a story that once I was out at DL and couldn't get her on the phone for over an hour. She was much sicker then, and we actually left the park for a wellness check. And then came right back when she had simply left her phone in the bathroom.


Oy! 


franandaj said:


> Evidently they are too small for her arthritic hands.


Ohhhh… Okay, that I get.


franandaj said:


> By the end of the trip, she would text me. I got less jittery about riding it. I doubt we will have this problem in the future.


Good to hear. 


franandaj said:


> I think the poor thing died. It's still in the suitcase!





franandaj said:


> Well thanks. We actually had mostly good luck this time.


Good!


----------



## franandaj

SG131 said:


> Yup, that Saturday. We had a late breakfast at Garden Grill then had a FP for Frozen and that was enough for the day. I LOVE the festival of the arts, but the downside of all those artist tents is that it made getting around on such a crowded day even more difficult. My mom was stressed trying to navigate the crowds and I was feeling claustrophobic too so we just went back to the boardwalk early to wait for scooter pickup and DME.



Yeah it wasn't so bad during the week, but in the weekend, it was nuts.



SG131 said:


> Most of my souvenirs other than clothes go in my carryon. And if they are in my suitcase they are usually something breakable so I put them in between the clothes in my laundry bag. I’m sure that inadvertently provides a bit of a deterrent as well!



My carry on is prime real estate as my computer, DSLR camera, meds, jewelry, and other such valuables go in there. We just have to chance it in the suitcase.



SG131 said:


> I’d love to hear what you thought of the loading and unloading process of the skyliner with a scooter at Rivera. I know the at the other stations they pull cars off the main line, but since they can’t do that there we opted not to bring scooter when we went to visit the resort though it would’ve been nice to have.



It wasn't bad at all. They slow it down to a virtual crawl that you are hardly moving at all.


----------



## SG131

franandaj said:


> My carry on is prime real estate as my computer, DSLR camera, meds, jewelry, and other such valuables go in there. We just have to chance it in the suitcase.


I take a much larger carry-on and personal item than I really should, especially since it makes it difficult to shlep through the airport. But my suitcases always are barely under weight limit so I often need to redistribute to the large carry-on for the return trip. I keep a mini luggage scale with me to make sure I don’t have any trouble on the way home.


franandaj said:


> It wasn't bad at all. They slow it down to a virtual crawl that you are hardly moving at all.


Oh that’s good to hear. I’ll make a note of that for when we are at the boardwalk again in August. I’d like to have a meal at Rivera at some point.


----------



## franandaj

Disneykate605 said:


> I saw the title of your TR and decided to read it. This made me actually laugh out loud and I have decided Fran is my new favorite person! Love it! Can't wait to read the rest of the TR!





I had to chuckle when I read this.  Fran is a lovely person, but not everyone sees that and rarely, if ever, has someone said that Fran is their new favorite person!


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> I'm so glad you liked the Marie band...I thought it was super cute. Happy my friends were able to find it and always happy to deliver in person to you!



Thank you for executing that plan. I was afraid that they would be sold out by the time I got there, but they still had them at Mousegears. I was happy to have mine from the beginning!



jedijill said:


> Jock Lindsay's looks like so much fun...We should put that on the list of places to go for the big 50th trip. Your dinner looked great too...too bad about the overcooked shrimp. Seeing Ellen and Brook would be the highlight though! I spent a memorable Cinco de Drinko with Ellen and I would love to meet Brook IRL.



It can definitely go on the list! And we can try the queso. We need to figure out days! I have no WDW trips to plan. I have enough for six nights in a 1 br at BLT. I'm thinking BCV for either before or after. Probably after since September is so hot.

I remember reading out that Cinco de Di OK adventure!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Ohh you guys are clever! I was just like 'wow! kinda cool!"



Well I'm generally suspicious and cynical....



DnA2010 said:


> ahhh ohhhh- warning flag...



I knew it wasn't going to be a smooth transition! 



DnA2010 said:


> I'm guessing they issue new bands with each stay



Yes they mail them in advance to Americans living in the US. Other folks pick them up at the front desk.

Hmmmm...   The fact that they didn't mail me my bands could have been a red flag.



DnA2010 said:


> I think I like it! That's a lot of cupboards- is there much in them?



There pretty much all full. There is service for eight in there. Big plates, little plates, tall glasses, short glasses, bowls, coffee mugs and wine glasses.



DnA2010 said:


> Nice! Was it comfy?



Pam and her Mom said it was the most uncomfortable couch they had ever sat on. Fran and I really only sat on it the first night when we turned on the TV. I didn't find it uncomfortable.



DnA2010 said:


> Very suitable for you two!
> Nice hidden mickey!



Took me a few days to see all of that stuff!



DnA2010 said:


> Yay, glad it was a decent tub still.



I would have enjoyed the SSR one more, but this was still better than BCV.



DnA2010 said:


> Sure Disney, sure...



I know, right?



DnA2010 said:


> I have a couple these- they are handy indeed!



I'd never seen one before and it took me a few days until I showed it to Fran and said, "What's this?" She figured it out.



DnA2010 said:


> Glad it was a non-issue, you've def had some annoying issues



I know. Considering I cut down on packing by expecting to do laundry, it sucks when its difficult. 



DnA2010 said:


> Geez! Pretty empty indeed!



It did fill up quite quickly after the people who were on the last of the Skyliner crowd came in.



DnA2010 said:


> Wine in a can is very handy sometimes...



Thanks to you I keep several in my fridge....



DnA2010 said:


> If it's something I really want to eat, or am still hungry, I generally complain, in this situation I'd be meh too.



Too much hassle for not enough reward.



DnA2010 said:


> Is that a salt/pepper shaker beside your mug



It's a pepper grinder. Unfortunately it was empty, but thanks to Pam being my personal shopper later in the week, it's full now!


----------



## franandaj

Mydustydog said:


> Yes, it disassembles for travel.  I needed a heavy duty one, so even broken apart the back wheel assembly is pretty heavy.   The other thing that is a drawback is the scooter has to be assembled to charge it.   I had a smaller DRIVE scooter before (long story) that the battery was in a case and could charge separately.  That was great,  and this is a pain but we deal with it.   Otherwise its a great scooter, never a worry about it not being powerful enough.



That's a bummer that it needs to be assembled to charge.  Our Gogos have a battery pack so that just the battery can charge.  Sometimes at home we leave the scooter in the car and just bring in the battery to charge.  We have a new Mini Van where we just roll the scooter up some little ramps and sometimes we just leave it in the car if we are making trips out to DL often. We will just take the battery in the house and charge it.  Normally at DL I don't need the scooter, only we are going for multiple days in a row.  Then I need it.

I'm not familiar with the Victory models. I've seen them, but we've always had Gogos, they are just easy and work for us.


----------



## franandaj

Mydustydog said:


> I assume California has Goodwill stores.   Here in NJ Goodwill has a division for medical equipment.   They have a warehouse sale in the medical division every so often and put thousands of new and used medical equipment pieces on sale at a very discounted price.  Everything from hospital beds, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, canes, blood pressure monitors, and scooters.   I was able to buy a brand new never used scooter for a third the price of what a new one would have cost - $400.     I ended up selling it for what I paid because it wasn't powerful enough.



We will have to look into this.  We do have Goodwill, but not sure if they have a division for Medical Equipment.  There is such a high demand out here, I don't know if they could keep it in stock!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> I bet, that does seem very very far...



I asked her this morning if that was going to be our next trip.  I didn't get an answer.  



DnA2010 said:


> Mmm chili..I went to make it the other day as I cooked off a load of ground beef (and prob some ground pork too, can't remember) the other day for taco meat, spag sauce, and chili but couldn't make the chili as realized I had no chili powder or kidney beans...



Not sure if you saw my FB post, but that's what I did with some of the chili.  There is still a ton left.  Probably going to donate it to Naked JIm.



DnA2010 said:


> Yup they have them here too, reminds me of childhood too, bologna was the only lunch meat we had, and that was only when it was on sale. Otherwise it was peanut butter sammies.



I think my Mom just served us Bologna cause that's what you give kids.  I don't think it was cost cutting thing. That didn't happen until I was in HS.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Yes, @franandaj Tony's used to get hammered on the boards. I was planning our first trip in like 2007 I think and was hesitant to try but we really liked it. Good food and good service. Is it 5 star? Nope but I am not eating Italian in MK expecting it to be.



I didn't join the DIS until 2009, and I never heard any bad rumors about it. I think now that you mention it, you've said a few times over the years that it's gotten a bad rap. I've only heard good things about it and I'd eat there again.


----------



## franandaj

pooh'smate said:


> We tried Tony's on our first trip in 2011 because of your review and we liked it.



Well there you go another "yes" for Tony's.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Oh yeah? Well, maybe I'll just keep reading! So there!



Fine ! Be that way!



pkondz said:


> Nah. If it's a quickie, then I only have a carry-on. Makes it quicker at customs.



   I wish we could travel that light.



pkondz said:


> Too bad. I _did_ like the charm. And... I never really had trouble getting a table.



I didn't either, as long as I made the reservation at 180 days!



pkondz said:


> well... poop. Do it and "forget" to mention it? Does she actually check the stash?
> No. Nevermind… that wouldn't be very honest.



Well considering that the place I would donate it is the church where the band rehearses, she might notice....


----------



## franandaj

disneydreamer1980 said:


> Following along! Can’t wait to read more!



 

I hope to get in another update as soon as I can finish replies!


----------



## franandaj

ljcrochet said:


> I'm coming out of lurking to say hello. I always enjoy reading your adventures.



 

Glad to have you back reading along!



ljcrochet said:


> We have a ton of the disney shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. I have them out in both guest bathrooms plus the extra in the vanity and the linen closet. I took them on my last royal caribbean cruise, but forgot to take the body lotion.



I have it in my guest bedroom/bath. My parents are about the only ones who stay on a regular basis. I don't think they use it.



ljcrochet said:


> I can't believe you got upgraded from SSR to Riviera. I can't wait to hear what else happened to you with the upgrade. The last 2 DVC room changes we had resulted in us calling members services to fix their screw ups. One was being charged for parking at VGF, other was at boardwalk. Our room got downgraded so the extra points that we had borrowed went into holding. We got them back in the correct use year.



Yeah, it wasn't as bad as the last time this happened.  That time we ended up having a bunch of points in the wrong places and such. Next update it should all become clear. As mud. But clear.



ljcrochet said:


> We are staying in a tower studio over the summer. I can't wait to check out Riviera . Not sure if we have any plans for that trip yet.



I'd be interested in hearing about those. I hear they only sleep two.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> All caught up



 

I'm glad you're caught up!



tiggrbaby said:


> You always have the most delicious drinks!



I had to think about that, I had forgotten that we went to Jock Lindsey's and I was thinking, "the can of wine?"   



tiggrbaby said:


> The room is lovely!



Thanks! It was a very nice room.



tiggrbaby said:


> We rode the Skyliner once just to try it. I can't imagine having to go it alone!



Eventually I got used to it, but it was very nerve wracking for the first few days.



tiggrbaby said:


> Was the Brooke you met Brookelizabeth from the boards? I used to read her TRs years ago. She seemed like a very sweet and genuine person



I have no idea. I dont think she was on the DIS when I joined. I've seen her name, but it seems that when people become TAs for other agencies they aren't supposed to post on the DIS any longer.


----------



## pkondz

[





franandaj said:


> Fine ! Be that way!


 




franandaj said:


> I wish we could travel that light.


Gotta admit... it's nice when I can.


franandaj said:


> I didn't either, as long as I made the reservation at 180 days!





franandaj said:


> Well considering that the place I would donate it is the church where the band rehearses, she might notice....


Ah yes. That'd be a problem...


----------



## rentayenta

pooh'smate said:


> We tried Tony's on our first trip in 2011 because of your review and we liked it.



I'm so glad and the theme couldn't be any more adorable!


----------



## dvc at last !

> dvc at last ! said:
> 
> 
> We leave our suitcases unlocked.
> Mine is always searched.


    Have you had things stolen from your suitcases leaving them unlocked?

There has never been anything taken.
We leave them unlocked in case they want to search
and not ruin a zipper or a lock.


----------



## franandaj

afwdwfan said:


> Time for your daily security sweep!



That was way to early for West Coasters traveling east!



afwdwfan said:


> But she wanted to go because she didn't get to do the things she wanted with your parents! It's time to wake up, Fran!



Yeah but it's a fine line when it comes to sleep.



afwdwfan said:


> That's fantastic. I'm glad that you found someone so willing to be that helpful for you!



It sure beat going down the hall to the ice machine for the rest of the week!



afwdwfan said:


> While I like the speed and convenience of the Skyliner (AKA don't have to wait 20 minutes for a bus), I wasn't aware of the accessibility issues surrounding it. This doesn't sound like a great system. They really should still offer more regular bus service from the Skyliner resorts so that people have an option.



Just wait. It gets better.



afwdwfan said:


> That's some great service!



I was very impressed!



afwdwfan said:


> I love Jock Lindsey's. Sorry you missed out on the diving bell.



Someday....



afwdwfan said:


> Awesome Dis meet!







afwdwfan said:


> I'm glad that you were able to be there for that. Seems to be one of the highlights of that restaurant!



Yeah, it was pretty cool, even if the food was inconsistent.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> We always unpack, we even unpack for our ski hill trips, which are generally only 2 nights...



Well we have a 2 night trip coming up and we'll see what I do!



DnA2010 said:


> How odd- I wonder if the old booking had different dates and some sort of list wasn't updated.



Next update will reveal a lot....



DnA2010 said:


> D's fav are Americano's..I like my Lattes



I like my coffee with a jolt. That shot of espresso does that.



DnA2010 said:


> That's adorable, and soo perfect for you!







DnA2010 said:


> I want to go to 'Ohana so bad, it's always been so popular on here



We have a new "meal" that we learned about this trip.  But that's several updates away.



DnA2010 said:


> We try to do this also, forward compliments with names.



Good for you.



DnA2010 said:


> I remember messaging with you about this- as I was reading about it almost live, and didn't know when you guys had got there



Still not totally on board with this as a preferred method of transportation. 



DnA2010 said:


> Ohh only one per car- would it be a tight fit to have 2 in there?



I dont think two could fit. Especially the larger scooters.



DnA2010 said:


> Was it busy in the hub?



Not the times we went through there, but I imagine at open or closing it would be.



DnA2010 said:


> Glad you got it!



I'll be excited once it comes in. It's a frame for some pins we got last year.



DnA2010 said:


> We still love ST's, always been a fav for sure



I plan on going on it Monday while we wait for our BG on rise.



DnA2010 said:


> Agree agree agree! Loved the TOT at WDW but love love love Guardians, it's just sooo much fun!



I think we'll go on that as well!



DnA2010 said:


> Agreed, that's a big dog!







DnA2010 said:


> Is it good coffee?



Coming in the next update....



DnA2010 said:


> Oh do tell? I could google it I suppose



If you look at the picture you quoted with Fran and our drinks, you can see it in the background on the left side of the picture.



DnA2010 said:


> LOL too funny! Fran has a few to feed I suppose



They've all died. 



DnA2010 said:


> I like this pic a lot! It's kinda artsy, but not over the top



This is the pic with the diving bell in the background.



DnA2010 said:


> I would want to sit by that machine! too cool!
> 1901



I don't think it really makes ice, but I could be wrong.



DnA2010 said:


> Awww! that's great



She's a sweetie!



DnA2010 said:


> Yum, I'm quite fond of these sort of soft cheeses



I would order something like this again.



DnA2010 said:


> Happy Disney folks!!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> They look good to me!



It's not that I wouldn't eat them, but at 5 bucks a pop, I was more looking forward to the pastry we had in the room.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh, this is gonna be a fun trip! What happened to Ms. WE HAVE TO GO TO WDW THIS YEAR?



There was a bad decision made in band that was handed down the day before we left. I was really hoping this trip would help her forget and move past it.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Huh. That's kind of annoying.



I guess they figure most people only have one ECV in their party....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I've never heard of a corn holder snob before.



I asked her why and she said those little ones are too hard to hold, but these were big enough that they would be easy to use.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Aw, man. That would be cool.



Next time we'll stalk it!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> And his name is...?



The Monkey died.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Nice! Now I'm going to have to find it.



Next time I'm there I need to get up and look around.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> This place sounds awesome. I really need to check it out someday.



Its definitely a cool place to hang out.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Someday I really want to know what that bus pass feels like.



We got a taste of it that day, and our luck was better than normal this trip, but we had some long waits too.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh, nice! I'm glad you got to catch up with Ellen!



And that wasn't the only time, so yay!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That looks like a nice spot to watch the show!



Actually my balcony was even better!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> She shows up on my feed all the time, too. Never once spoken to her!



Well now you have at least three common friends, probably more, so she'll show up even more!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I'm slowing down, myself... but... I suspect if I don't get back for a while (not counting any last minute whirlwind tours prior to AP expiring), that I'll be speeding up again.



Unless I start a gym regimen, I don't see myself speeding up anytime in the future 



pkondz said:


> I put them in drawers. And hang stuff. But it _has_ to be for more than one night.



We rarely do one night stays, although if we resume road trips that may be in the cards.



pkondz said:


> what shade was it? Umber? Puce?



Magenta



pkondz said:


> Okay, that I understand!







pkondz said:


> Ah! Okay, I didn't know that. Good... _Very_ good to know!



Yes. They take that stuff seriously.



pkondz said:


> Yeah, I should've thought of that. I did see them last I was there. They're not giant gondolas.



They have a limit of 6 with a scooter. 10 without.


----------



## franandaj

SG131 said:


> I take a much larger carry-on and personal item than I really should, especially since it makes it difficult to shlep through the airport. But my suitcases always are barely under weight limit so I often need to redistribute to the large carry-on for the return trip. I keep a mini luggage scale with me to make sure I don’t have any trouble on the way home.



I'm not sure why but our suitcases have been coming in under 40lbs recently when they used to be just under 50lbs. I also carry a luggage scale for the same reason.



SG131 said:


> Oh that’s good to hear. I’ll make a note of that for when we are at the boardwalk again in August. I’d like to have a meal at Rivera at some point.



They slow it down plenty, but if you're really scared about it you could take it to CBR and take the path back to Riviera.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Gotta admit... it's nice when I can.



Fran needs too much stuff! 



pkondz said:


> Ah yes. That'd be a problem...


----------



## franandaj

dvc at last ! said:


> There has never been anything taken.
> We leave them unlocked in case they want to search
> and not ruin a zipper or a lock.



You're lucky! Although I don't think I've had anything stolen since we've been using the TSA locks.


----------



## franandaj

Day 3


I woke around 7:30 but I was just so tired, I laid back down and fell asleep for another 90 minutes. This time change is hitting me hard! Yes 9AM is 6AM back home and I'm doing pretty good even getting up then, but if we’re going to try for RotR in a couple days I need to up my wake time!

I sat in bed for another hour catching up on my trip notes and reading FB. At 10 I told Fran, "You  need to wake up. I am getting dressed, making coffee and breakfast." 

The coffee I bought the day before was really good! I made us Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins. Sorry about the bites, it takes me a bit to get back into the TR picture taking mode!





We also had some V8 along with my coffee. We sat in bed while eating.





Fran asked for another half of muffin with some of the leftover Ricotta on it.





I ate what was left with the bread they sent home with us. I know it looks kinda gross but it was still very tasty!





I had some business to take care of this morning. We were able to rent out one of the vacant apartments the Friday before we left. I deposited the check in the bank on Saturday, but they put a hold on the funds, so I wasn't able to pay off our Disney Visa before we left. I needed to do that as soon as I could. The payment due date was this Saturday and I hate waiting until the last moment.

So I logged into the website and they had released the hold on the funds, so I paid the card. And then I noticed that the balance was astronomically high, so high that I was over the credit limit. Even with not having paid off the card, I still should have had several thousand dollars left before maxing it out. February is a tough month cause lots of Disney bills come up for payment around the new year, but not that tough to put me over the credit limit. I scrolled through the charges and for the day we checked in, I see a charge for $6,688.00 by Disney Resort Services…..WHAT THE….???????

I immediately screen shot it and emailed it to myself so I could have it on my phone. My heart was pounding so hard I was afraid I might be having a heart attack. I went downstairs immediately and waited at the spot where they have their virtual queue for guest services. Luckily I didn't have to wait as long as I did the day before to get my Marie band activated. I knew that the gal who first acknowledged me wouldn't have the seniority to help so I gave a brief description and said that I needed someone who could really fix things and they got me a manager immediately. As I suspected it did have everything to do with my transfer from SSR. Short version, when they did the transfer, they gave my points back to my account. It was on Riviera to use them toward their accounting. In the meantime this charge would stay pending until I checked out and then it would just go away. They don't expect people to check stuff like this on vacation.

Getting ahead of myself: So upon checkout they sent me an “accounting” of the charges. For weeknights the room charge itself was $578, the OC Tourist Development Tax was $34.68, and the OC Accommodation Tax was $2.89.  On Friday and Saturday the same respective fees were $616, $39.36, and $3.08

The day that I “discovered” the charge to my card, I’m guessing that they fixed everything because the statement shows several credits to my account, one for $5856 with the description “Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort - 1 Bedroom Villa - Prefered - SB-PKG CORR”, and several others for about $750 for the aforementioned taxes.

I didn’t check the credit card statement until about a week later, but I’m guessing that the charge disappeared later that day. From that time on, according to the statement provided at checkout, I had a credit balance on my hotel account and every day they whittled it down with another room charge and room taxes until the balance was zero on checkout day.

Well now we know. A room like this would cost around $600.00 per night on cash. DVC was one of the best investments we have ever made! Even the SSR room was up there in price!


Back in the room, I wrapped up a bit more business on the computer before we got it together enough to leave for Epcot. Luckily our only plan for today was to visit the kiosks and have lunch.

It was back down to the Skyliner boarding station although this was a different line than yesterday.  Technically it was actually the same line we took yesterday, just going in a different direction. 









It turns out that the line originates at CBR goes to the Riviera, makes a turn towards the Boardwalk and in front of the Boardwalk makes another turn towards Epcot. It took us about 10 minutes to get there.









When we approached security they had reorganized their system. There was an area for guests without bags. Two openings for regular guests and one line for guests in scooters, wheelchairs, or with strollers. The line was six people deep. There were no lines anywhere else. We tried to go to another line and the security guy at the line we approached must have been the one that used to work at Hoop de Doo when @pkondz was there, cause he rudely told us we couldn't go in his line and had to go back to the Scooter/stroller line and wait our turn.

The lady at the front of the line was trying to figure out world peace with the security guard, I mean that's what it had to be since he wasn't searching her bag and it was taking FOREVER.

Fran was pretty miffed by the time we got through the line and she went right to Guest Relations and calmly explained her frustrations. Fran edit: She calls it a polite rant

As we were in line at Guest Relations, I reached in the basket of my scooter for my water bottle and it wasn't there. Dang. Now we would have to spring for a one use bottle of water!

Our first stop was France to see if they had any good Marie merchandise. I ended up getting two of the baseball caps that they had. One to use and one to lose as Fran says.

We stopped at the France kiosk.









We got one of everything food wise The melted Brie came in a little bread bowl and it was very tasty. 









However, my favorite here was the tomato stuffed with braised beef. This was really tasty. The beef was so tender and the tomato was done just enough so it would hold the filling without being undercooked.









The chocolate cake was tasty, but there wasn't a whole lot of the molten center. But we weren't going to toss it in the trash! So we still finished it!  









We saved the macarons for later since they were already packaged.





We also got the French Martini. This was very good! 





We went for a photo op in one of the portraits, Luncheon of the Boating Party.

















Unfortunately this turned out to be the only picture photo op we ended up doing. I guess we will have to go back!

She wanted to visit the restroom and the closest one was in Morocco, so we headed there and that’s when I realized what a mistake it was to visit during the Festival of the Arts. In all the TRs that I’ve read, people showed pictures of the food, they posted pictures of them posing in the works of the Masters, but no one mentioned that there were dozens of Art Galleries throughout the park! Just about every artist you find in the Disneyana store at DL, or the other fine art stores throughout WDW had a tent or a part of a tent showcasing their paintings. Doh! I was able to keep her from buying an actual piece of artwork,  Fran edit: She says that it was her own self who showed restraint.  She did buy a poster at the first booth we came upon. It was for Greg McCullough. 





They actually had one of the paintings that we have on our wall at home in that booth. The artist was at DTD (back when they called it that) and actually signed the back of it for her. It's called "One Man Band"





This is the piece that she ended up buying in a poster version.





After the potty stop in Morocco, she had learned that if anywhere was going to have the special Passholder T-shirts for the Festival, it was going to be the new Mousegears. So we decided to head over there, but first we stopped at The Masterpiece Kitchen.









The only thing that I wanted here was the Risotto.  I thought it was really good, but Fran didn’t seem to care for it at all.





She got the Salmon Gateau, and thought it was just fabulous.





We are always amused by the white birds at Disney. Usually they each get their own pond or body of water, but today they were congregating at WS.





This one was particularly bold.





I'm going to wrap this up here since I'm about at my photo limit and it's a good place to break up the day


----------



## Disneykate605

franandaj said:


> Fran was pretty miffed by the time we got through the line and she went right to Guest Relations and calmly explained her frustrations. Fran edit: She calls it a polite rant


Well this really seals the deal...Fran is definitely one of my new favorite people...I have been known to do a few polite rants. Lol


----------



## rentayenta

We don't lock our suitcases either; I thought to lock them is against the rules? 

Great updated! I spy Reedy Creek fire from the skyway thing! 

The food looks good! Can't wait for our F&W though it looks almost identical to last year's. 

When I think of Fran and a polite rant, I think of velcro tape.


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

franandaj said:


> I see a charge for $6,688.00 by Disney Resort Services…..WHAT THE….???????




 YIKES!!! Glad they got it resolved... But still, YIKES!!!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Love your Tigger mug!

Your Renoir pics are very sweet!

When we went for my 60th birthday we took lots of those types of pics.  I had two of them made into mugs.


----------



## cruisehopeful

franandaj said:


> We also got the French Martini. This was very good!


I was scrolling and reading at the same time and I first read this is, "We also got the Fran Martini."   I had to reread it. What does it taste like? I usually like cosmos and lemon drops (all the sweet martinis).


----------



## Mydustydog

franandaj said:


> When we approached security they had reorganized their system. There was an area for guests without bags. Two openings for regular guests and one line for guests in scooters, wheelchairs, or with strollers. The line was six people deep. There were no lines anywhere else. We tried to go to another line and the security guy at the line we approached must have been the one that used to work at Hoop de Doo when @pkondz was there, cause he rudely told us we couldn't go in his line and had to go back to the Scooter/stroller line and wait our turn.


So, is this the way of the future for scooters?  Personally I normally try to avoid a security line with multiple strollers,  because there is so much to go through.  Moms/Dads need a lot of gear.  We don't carry much except what can fit in the scooter basket (water bottles, rain gear) and my mini purse.  Not loving the prospect of this, especially for HS mornings trying for a ROTR BG...   ugh.


----------



## chunkymonkey

Thanks for pm-ing me your new TR link! I'm rarely on the DVC boards. Just so used to the regular Trip Report boards!



franandaj said:


> On that trip, she didn’t get to do exactly what she wanted to do, you might remember that she feigned illness to go back to the room, and then I GPS tracked her all over Epcot shopping and “doing her thing.”


That is just too funny!!


franandaj said:


> Every single time we fly the TSA searches my luggage and they never relock the locks. There are thieves out there, and I don't want them stealing my stuff! I carry my jewelry and meds in my carry on, but still there is stuff in there I like!


Haha that is a good idea! Is there something that makes them search your bag each time?


franandaj said:


> They likely are using the SSR renovations as a handy excuse to move Guests they feel are most likely to spend on Riviera." Well, we will see. I have my 1000 points and don't really need anymore, but it will be nice to experience this brand new resort at SSR point prices.


Haha that would be my reasoning too! But what a nice upgrade! I saw a one bedroom at the Riviera last time because Molly got upgraded to a 1-BR and it was so nice. Much nicer than the room we were in at CBR.



franandaj said:


> The soup was the clear winner here. It was hot and tasty. I might have been happier with a large bowl of that and some crusty bread. The real loser here was the fries. They were cold, needed salt and just generally disappointing. We weren't going to complain though. We rarely do over stuff like this, sometimes it's just too much work to complain. It takes too long for them to make the food all over. And we were tired, but at least we weren't hungry anymore.


We got the Croque monsieur there too once. I think it was actually the croque madame with the egg on top. We really liked it! I got fries with my burger one day and luckily it wasn't cold. Cold fries are no good!



franandaj said:


> While many of you might think this is cool. I'm still a little traumatized that it's first accident happened the first day on my arrival of the last trip. Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola. I have separation anxiety and the fact that I could be stuck alone in a car is a little disconcerting.


It sucks you guys have to ride separately! I really like the skyliner though, it gets us to those two parks really quickly. Although really only good when you're staying at the Skyliner resorts.


franandaj said:


> Business taken care of we headed to our first FP which was Star Tours. They had all new scenes, at least to me! It was very cool!


It was really cool!


franandaj said:


> We did a little shopping. I found some Dark Roast coffee in one of the shops, and we found Mickey hand corn holders. Fran won't use those little yellow corn ear holders that we have at home, but she said she would use these.


Haha because these are Mickey corn ear holders!



franandaj said:


> We took the elevator two floors up, and Fran asked, "Where do we go?" And as soon as we got out of the elevator she said, "Oh, it's just like the Fantasy." Tell me if you understand that reference cause I had the exact same thought!


Is it like walking from forward to aft and taking the elevators to Palo/Remy?


franandaj said:


> It was a huge portion. This picture is after we split it in half. The sauce and pasta were very tasty. The shrimp were overcooked. It was a little disappointing. Last October, for half the price, we had a lovely scampi at Tony's with perfectly cooked shrimp. This dish was rather unfortunate. We ate it anyways because I think for somewhere around $40 we weren't going to let it go to waste. As I said the sauce and pasta were very good.


Your food looked good! Too bad the shrimp were over cooked. We really enjoyed Topolino for brunch.



franandaj said:


> Fran asked for another half of muffin with some of the leftover Ricotta on it.


Yum! I would really like fresh ricotta on a raisin muffin now!


franandaj said:


> Well now we know. A room like this would cost around $600.00 per night on cash. DVC was one of the best investments we have ever made! Even the SSR room was up there in price!


I agree!! Even just a studio at the Poly is up there in price! 


franandaj said:


>


Yum I loved this!


franandaj said:


> However, my favorite here was the tomato stuffed with braised beef. This was really tasty. The beef was so tender and the tomato was done just enough so it would hold the filling without being undercooked.


We also got this and found it really good as well!!


franandaj said:


> We also got the French Martini. This was very good!


This too! France is a winner during this festival!


franandaj said:


> She wanted to visit the restroom and the closest one was in Morocco, so we headed there and that’s when I realized what a mistake it was to visit during the Festival of the Arts. In all the TRs that I’ve read, people showed pictures of the food, they posted pictures of them posing in the works of the Masters, but no one mentioned that there were dozens of Art Galleries throughout the park! Just about every artist you find in the Disneyana store at DL, or the other fine art stores throughout WDW had a tent or a part of a tent showcasing their paintings. Doh! I was able to keep her from buying an actual piece of artwork, Fran edit: She says that it was her own self who showed restraint.  She did buy a poster at the first booth we came upon. It was for Greg McCullough.


LOL I guess I don't really buy that much art and when I do I get in online so I didn't do any art buying. We did browse and admire though!


franandaj said:


> The only thing that I wanted here was the Risotto. I thought it was really good, but Fran didn’t seem to care for it at all.


I enjoyed this a lot!


franandaj said:


> She got the Salmon Gateau, and thought it was just fabulous.


Oooh this looks fancy! Is it smoked salmon?


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> No, they're in Anza Borrego. The year when we had the super rainfall we went out to see the flowers.



Ah!! Okay, LOVE that area! 



franandaj said:


> Obviously I don't have stuff they really want. I'll often pack some wine in the suitcase, and I wonder if that triggers them.



Wine could for sure. Who knows though, really. 



franandaj said:


> I actually loosely plan my outfits daily. Especially travel day. I DON'T put them in baggies for each day.



You mean you're not so OCD as me.   



franandaj said:


> I know. Now I need to set up a Burke Williams session.



YES!!!



franandaj said:


> Wow! That's cool!



 



franandaj said:


> We are putting all our eggs in our Southwest credit card basket this year. We are trying for Companion status. By Fall we should be able to book flights a I fly free!



I'm thinking of getting a Chase Sapphire... need to do some more research...



franandaj said:


> Guess what? You have already seen our sum total of spending at our resort. OK I may have bought some brownie bites in an upcoming chapter, but in my recap, I'll share my full thoughts on the resort.



And I can't wait to hear those! 



franandaj said:


> The room itself was very nice, but the room at Saratoga is nice too. Maybe not quite as big, but they have a spa.  I'm still bitter about that.



I'd have been too if I'd had my heart set on it. 



franandaj said:


> I guess my sarcasm didn't properly come through in the writing....



Ah, I should have known! My fluency in sarcasm is slipping!!



franandaj said:


> I know. I should have put it in as soon as I got the suitcases out.



I've  made similar boo-boos... in fact, almost every trip. Everything from underwear to charging cords. 



franandaj said:


> It was OK. There was none of the part where you go through the Twilight Zone, you just went up and down. Every time I ride it at WDW I realize how much better that one is.



Yeah, that sounded kinda boring! 



franandaj said:


> I couldn't even finish my half of this dog!



It's just too much food!! The waste is astronomical. I have tried lately to look at portion sizes so as not to over-order/spend. 



franandaj said:


> I know. Having to drink that Joffrey's swill another day would have been



 



franandaj said:


> Her first one is on the Tiki mug shelf which is completely full, all the rest go in storage.



Won't you sell them? Will they just sit or ???



franandaj said:


> Well I dont think it really makes ice cubes, but it gives the illusion that it does. It's a big machine on the left as you enter. Had it not been so quiet when we were there I might have missed it. Every few minutes it would shake, make some noises and then you would see a sphere pop out of a contraption near the bottom and roll into a hopper of sorts.



Oohhhh, okay. Still kinda a cool parlour trick gizmo! 



franandaj said:


> Fran asked for another half of muffin with some of the leftover Ricotta on it.



I'd never thought of Ricotta as a spread!! Hmmm, I can see mixing it with a little jam, or cinnamon and sugar and putting it on Toast of English muffin. Yum!



franandaj said:


> but they put a hold on the funds, so I wasn't able to pay off our Disney Visa before we left. I needed to do that as soon as I could. The payment due date was this Saturday and I hate waiting until the last moment.



Me neither! Otherwise, what's the point of points if you're going to blow the $ on interest? 



franandaj said:


> Well now we know. A room like this would cost around $600.00 per night on cash. DVC was one of the best investments we have ever made! Even the SSR room was up there in price!



Well, that certainly makes a good case for DVC.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Yes 9AM is 6AM back home and I'm doing pretty good even getting up then, but if we’re going to try for RotR in a couple days I need to up my wake time!



  You can do it!  I believe in you!



franandaj said:


> I scrolled through the charges and for the day we checked in, I see a charge for $6,688.00 by Disney Resort Services…..WHAT THE….???????







franandaj said:


> They don't expect people to check stuff like this on vacation.



They...might want to come up with a better system for this.



franandaj said:


> A room like this would cost around $600.00 per night on cash. DVC was one of the best investments we have ever made! Even the SSR room was up there in price!



These prices are just astronomical.  It really kills you when you're trying to find a room for 6.



franandaj said:


> It took us about 10 minutes to get there.



Probably still beats the bus.



franandaj said:


> The lady at the front of the line was trying to figure out world peace with the security guard, I mean that's what it had to be since he wasn't searching her bag and it was taking FOREVER.



Sometimes I really hate people.  Especially those that hold up long lines.



franandaj said:


> Dang. Now we would have to spring for a one use bottle of water!



That will be $27.00.



franandaj said:


> The chocolate cake was tasty, but there wasn't a whole lot of the molten center. But we weren't going to toss it in the trash! So we still finished it!



Good for you!  You're not quitters!



franandaj said:


> Doh! I was able to keep her from buying an actual piece of artwork, Fran edit: She says that it was her own self who showed restraint.







franandaj said:


>



Gah!  Too close!


----------



## afwdwfan

franandaj said:


> This time change is hitting me hard! Yes 9AM is 6AM back home and I'm doing pretty good even getting up then, but if we’re going to try for RotR in a couple days I need to up my wake time!


Gotta get that body clock set forward quick!


franandaj said:


> So I logged into the website and they had released the hold on the funds, so I paid the card. And then I noticed that the balance was astronomically high, so high that I was over the credit limit. Even with not having paid off the card, I still should have had several thousand dollars left before maxing it out. February is a tough month cause lots of Disney bills come up for payment around the new year, but not that tough to put me over the credit limit. I scrolled through the charges and for the day we checked in, I see a charge for $6,688.00 by Disney Resort Services…..WHAT THE….???????


Um... Wow!!!  This is not good.  


franandaj said:


> As I suspected it did have everything to do with my transfer from SSR. Short version, when they did the transfer, they gave my points back to my account. It was on Riviera to use them toward their accounting. In the meantime this charge would stay pending until I checked out and then it would just go away. They don't expect people to check stuff like this on vacation.


This just means their accounting system sucks.  How is that even reasonable?  Oh, we'll just max out their credit card and then put it back so that we can properly account for it.  What would have happened if you'd have gone somewhere and needed to use the card and it gets declined because of this? 


franandaj said:


> I didn’t check the credit card statement until about a week later, but I’m guessing that the charge disappeared later that day. From that time on, according to the statement provided at checkout, I had a credit balance on my hotel account and every day they whittled it down with another room charge and room taxes until the balance was zero on checkout day.


Honestly, you handled it very well.  I'd have probably stood at the counter until it was gone... If you want to put a hold of $500 or whatever as pending until checkout, fine.  6K+... nope.  Fix it now.  


franandaj said:


> We tried to go to another line and the security guy at the line we approached must have been the one that used to work at Hoop de Doo when @pkondz was there, cause he rudely told us we couldn't go in his line and had to go back to the Scooter/stroller line and wait our turn.


Oh gosh.  First of all, I hope that clown actually is gone from Hoop de Doo, but really?  Come on, why do we need to be on a power trip just because we have a Mickey badge.  


franandaj said:


> The lady at the front of the line was trying to figure out world peace with the security guard, I mean that's what it had to be since he wasn't searching her bag and it was taking FOREVER.


Love a friendly CM, but sometimes we just need to move along... 


franandaj said:


> Fran was pretty miffed by the time we got through the line and she went right to Guest Relations and calmly explained her frustrations. Fran edit: She calls it a polite rant


Sounds like it needed to be done.  Did she get any kind of a satisfactory response?  


franandaj said:


> She wanted to visit the restroom and the closest one was in Morocco, so we headed there and that’s when I realized what a mistake it was to visit during the Festival of the Arts. In all the TRs that I’ve read, people showed pictures of the food, they posted pictures of them posing in the works of the Masters, but no one mentioned that there were dozens of Art Galleries throughout the park! Just about every artist you find in the Disneyana store at DL, or the other fine art stores throughout WDW had a tent or a part of a tent showcasing their paintings. Doh! I was able to keep her from buying an actual piece of artwork, Fran edit: She says that it was her own self who showed restraint.  She did buy a poster at the first booth we came upon. It was for Greg McCullough


     I mean, the credit card is already maxed out, so what's there to worry about?


----------



## SG131

franandaj said:


> I see a charge for $6,688.00 by Disney Resort Services…..WHAT THE….???????


Well you seemed to have handled this much nicer than I would've been!  That's a rather large error.



franandaj said:


> The lady at the front of the line was trying to figure out world peace with the security guard, I mean that's what it had to be since he wasn't searching her bag and it was taking FOREVER.


We were at Hollywood Studios that day so it couldn't have been my mother!



franandaj said:


> Unfortunately this turned out to be the only picture photo op we ended up doing. I guess we will have to go back!


We only managed to get two of the pictures as well.  I was trying not to push my luck with the number of pictures I asked my mom to pose for.  I have to use that request sparingly and she was a good sport with Galaxy's Edge photo ops.



franandaj said:


> Fran edit: She says that it was her own self who showed restraint.


Good for Fran! I was also able to restrain myself despite having an empty suitcase on the way back that I could have easily fit some artwork in.  If Epcot wouldn't have been so crazy the last day I may not have had such restraint!  However, I didn't show as much restraint at the World of Disney store.......


----------



## irene_dsc

I'm here!  A bit late, but here!  Finally caught up on your old TR and found the link here.  I know I'm one of the mostly lurkers - sorry!

I can't believe they built a resort that is so dependent on the skyliners.  I mean, I suppose they could add a bus if it broke down, but it just seems like a bad plan.  Especially when it also is so not scooter-friendly.

I can understand the vacuum - I think I'd be annoyed if something made a mess and there wasn't a way to clean it up when you only get maid service every 7 days.  Especially with a full kitchen.  I remember once we were at a party at friends' Airbnb, and someone knocked over an empty wine glass.  Thankfully, there was a broom in the closet.

I totally agree on the cost savings being the reason for all those "environmentally friendly" moves, lol.  I'm fine with using my sheets and towels for a few days, so that's no big deal for me.  But, I think that homeless shelters are probably the biggest losers for the toiletries.  We did a bunch of donation drives back when I was a Girl Scout Leader, and we gathered a lot of hotel shampoos and stuff.  I have a few random things in my hall closet now that my daughter is done with Girl Scouts - I need to find someone doing a similar donation drive.

And, wowza on the $6,688 charge!  Glad it got resolved, but yes, that could've been a huge problem if you needed to charge something on it!


----------



## basketlacey

Love the report so far. The room is beautiful!


----------



## ShellB8585

franandaj said:


> Congratulations! That's a long time to go without visiting! Kind of like us before we bought DVC!


I come from Disney vacation loving stock my parents and siblings still go WDW regularly and I honestly thought we would too when we were younger. But as much as DH loves Disney he also wants to see more of the world so Disney cruises have been a great alternative! I have managed a few Paris trips out of him too. But I must admit I am longing for the home of WDW


franandaj said:


> If you come to CA, I can come out and meet you!
> Thanks for reading and commenting!


That would be fun, I will bear that in mind should we ever make it back! For now DH has put his foot down and decided the 10hr flight from the UK was too much for the week we have so may go a little closer to home and try out somewhere new in Europe instead. 



franandaj said:


> Day 3
> I had some business to take care of this morning. We were able to rent out one of the vacant apartments the Friday before we left. I deposited the check in the bank on Saturday, but they put a hold on the funds, so I wasn't able to pay off our Disney Visa before we left. I needed to do that as soon as I could. The payment due date was this Saturday and I hate waiting until the last moment.
> 
> So I logged into the website and they had released the hold on the funds, so I paid the card. And then I noticed that the balance was astronomically high, so high that I was over the credit limit. Even with not having paid off the card, I still should have had several thousand dollars left before maxing it out. February is a tough month cause lots of Disney bills come up for payment around the new year, but not that tough to put me over the credit limit. I scrolled through the charges and for the day we checked in, I see a charge for $6,688.00 by Disney Resort Services…..WHAT THE….???????
> 
> I immediately screen shot it and emailed it to myself so I could have it on my phone. My heart was pounding so hard I was afraid I might be having a heart attack.




I think I would have nearly had a Heart attack too! I only use my credit cards to book vacations and for emergencies so this would have put me way way over my balance! Glad it all got sorted in the end.


franandaj said:


> We got one of everything food wise The melted Brie came in a little bread bowl and it was very tasty.


This looks delicious and completely up my street! 



franandaj said:


> Unfortunately this turned out to be the only picture photo op we ended up doing. I guess we will have to go back!


Cute pictures! shame you didn't make it to any more but it's always best to leave reasons to go back 



franandaj said:


> The only thing that I wanted here was the Risotto.  I thought it was really good, but Fran didn’t seem to care for it at all.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> She got the Salmon Gateau, and thought it was just fabulous.



Some more good looking food right there! I am definitely going to have to make more of an effort to get to one of these festivals!! Looks like a good day so far after a stressful start. Looking forward to reading some more


----------



## dizneeat

*PAGE 7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

*Sorry I am late. Been on vacation (non Disney, even though we went to the Disney store more than once  ). Will take me some time to catch up, but I am on it!*


----------



## StarB

Well I'm entertained!  Thanks for sharing!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Unless I start a gym regimen, I don't see myself speeding up anytime in the future


So when do you start?


 


franandaj said:


> We rarely do one night stays, although if we resume road trips that may be in the cards.


And that's _exactly_ when I do them.


franandaj said:


> Magenta


Works.


franandaj said:


> They have a limit of 6 with a scooter. 10 without.


That many! Huh... Wouldn't have thought so.


franandaj said:


> I woke around 7:30 but I was just so tired, I laid back down and fell asleep for another 90 minutes.


You _were_ tired!


franandaj said:


> but if we’re going to try for RotR in a couple days I need to up my wake time!





franandaj said:


> Sorry about the bites, it takes me a bit to get back into the TR picture taking mode!


Totally get that.

"mmm... this is good... mmm... oh shoot!"


franandaj said:


> I had some business to take care of this morning.


Please don't describe it. Do your business and take up the narrative when you come out of the bathroom.


franandaj said:


> I see a charge for $6,688.00 by Disney Resort Services…..WHAT THE….???????


Holy smokes! 

(Of course... I had a very similar amount charged to my card... except it was fraud. Pretty sure I didn't spend a night in a very expensive hotel in the Ukraine.)


franandaj said:


> As I suspected it did have everything to do with my transfer from SSR. Short version, when they did the transfer, they gave my points back to my account. It was on Riviera to use them toward their accounting. In the meantime this charge would stay pending until I checked out and then it would just go away. They don't expect people to check stuff like this on vacation.





franandaj said:


> I didn’t check the credit card statement until about a week later, but I’m guessing that the charge disappeared later that day.


I'm shocked you didn't keep checking it... every hour or so!


franandaj said:


> It turns out that the line originates at CBR goes to the Riviera, makes a turn towards the Boardwalk and in front of the Boardwalk makes another turn towards Epcot. It took us about 10 minutes to get there.


10 minutes... 
You could easily wait longer than that just for a bus to arrive!


franandaj said:


> We tried to go to another line and the security guy at the line we approached must have been the one that used to work at Hoop de Doo when @pkondz was there, cause he rudely told us we couldn't go in his line and had to go back to the Scooter/stroller line and wait our turn.


Wow. Thanks, dude... for nothing.
How about not being discriminatory?


franandaj said:


> The lady at the front of the line was trying to figure out world peace with the security guard, I mean that's what it had to be since he wasn't searching her bag and it was taking FOREVER.





franandaj said:


> Fran was pretty miffed by the time we got through the line and she went right to Guest Relations and calmly explained her frustrations. Fran edit: She calls it a polite rant


 


franandaj said:


> I ended up getting two of the baseball caps that they had. One to use and one to lose as Fran says.


I've never heard that... not sure if I'll apply that philosophy or not!


franandaj said:


> The melted Brie came in a little bread bowl and it was very tasty.


Looks good... but very heavy!


franandaj said:


> However, my favorite here was the tomato stuffed with braised beef. This was really tasty. The beef was so tender and the tomato was done just enough so it would hold the filling without being undercooked.


You know... I never in a million years would've ordered that... But now that I see it and your description... it's looking pretty good!


franandaj said:


>


I like this one the best. You guys look so much in love.  


franandaj said:


> I was able to keep her from buying an actual piece of artwork, Fran edit: She says that it was her own self who showed restraint.





franandaj said:


> This is the piece that she ended up buying in a poster version.


I really like that! Even has the Nautilus in it! (RIP, Kirk)


franandaj said:


> The only thing that I wanted here was the Risotto. I thought it was really good, but Fran didn’t seem to care for it at all.


mmmm… risotto...


franandaj said:


> She got the Salmon Gateau, and thought it was just fabulous.


That looks really interesting. Not sure I'd order that, either. But should!


----------



## franandaj

Disneykate605 said:


> Well this really seals the deal...Fran is definitely one of my new favorite people...I have been known to do a few polite rants. Lol



   This really cracks me up!  She got a kick out of it too!



rentayenta said:


> We don't lock our suitcases either; I thought to lock them is against the rules?



Only if you don't use TSA approved locks. 



rentayenta said:


> Great updated! I spy Reedy Creek fire from the skyway thing!



Yes, it flys right over it.



rentayenta said:


> The food looks good! Can't wait for our F&W though it looks almost identical to last year's.



I know.  I'm not as excited as I could be.  There were really only a few things that I liked, but all the vegans should be overjoyed.



rentayenta said:


> When I think of Fran and a polite rant, I think of velcro tape.



Actually it wasn't velcro, but I know what you're talking about.


----------



## franandaj

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> YIKES!!! Glad they got it resolved... But still, YIKES!!!



I know!  I was still shaken up several hours later, it took a while to get over that shock!



tiggrbaby said:


> Love your Tigger mug!



Thanks!  It's one of the things that I love in my Owner's Locker, I get to see him every trip!



tiggrbaby said:


> Your Renoir pics are very sweet!



Thanks!  I wish we had done more of them.



tiggrbaby said:


> When we went for my 60th birthday we took lots of those types of pics. I had two of them made into mugs.



What a great idea!


----------



## franandaj

cruisehopeful said:


> I was scrolling and reading at the same time and I first read this is, "We also got the Fran Martini."   I had to reread it. What does it taste like? I usually like cosmos and lemon drops (all the sweet martinis).



That would be weird....   It was really good, not too sweet, but fruity, and the lemon lime foam on the top gave it a nice tartness to the whole thing.  I liked it, and drank most of it!



Mydustydog said:


> So, is this the way of the future for scooters?  Personally I normally try to avoid a security line with multiple strollers,  because there is so much to go through.  Moms/Dads need a lot of gear.  We don't carry much except what can fit in the scooter basket (water bottles, rain gear) and my mini purse.  Not loving the prospect of this, especially for HS mornings trying for a ROTR BG...   ugh.



Well for the rest of the week, every park we went to had multiple entrances for scooters.  I don't know if they "heard" us or not, but we never ran into the problem again!


----------



## rentayenta

Duct tape? I swear there was tape involved.

Gabby will be elated at the F&W offerings!


----------



## franandaj

chunkymonkey said:


> Thanks for pm-ing me your new TR link! I'm rarely on the DVC boards. Just so used to the regular Trip Report boards!



You're welcome!  I just think that I should post over here since there aren't a lot of TRs on the DVC boards, maybe more people would write them if there are more to read.



chunkymonkey said:


> That is just too funny!!



She is a crafty one.....



chunkymonkey said:


> Haha that is a good idea! Is there something that makes them search your bag each time?



I'm thinking that it's the little wine boxes, you know the 500ml kind with the screwtop.  But I could be wrong.



chunkymonkey said:


> Haha that would be my reasoning too! But what a nice upgrade! I saw a one bedroom at the Riviera last time because Molly got upgraded to a 1-BR and it was so nice. Much nicer than the room we were in at CBR.



I just love my one bedrooms.  So much space, no bumping into each other.  We do that at home so I like not doing it on vacation.



chunkymonkey said:


> We got the Croque monsieur there too once. I think it was actually the croque madame with the egg on top. We really liked it! I got fries with my burger one day and luckily it wasn't cold. Cold fries are no good!



You must have eaten there a lot!



chunkymonkey said:


> It sucks you guys have to ride separately! I really like the skyliner though, it gets us to those two parks really quickly. Although really only good when you're staying at the Skyliner resorts.



I can see it as an efficient method of transport, when it is working....



chunkymonkey said:


> It was really cool!



I can't wait to ride it again!



chunkymonkey said:


> Haha because these are Mickey corn ear holders!



Evidently the little yellow corn ones are too small for her hands.



chunkymonkey said:


> Is it like walking from forward to aft and taking the elevators to Palo/Remy?



Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!!!!!!!



chunkymonkey said:


> Your food looked good! Too bad the shrimp were over cooked. We really enjoyed Topolino for brunch.



I would have like to try it, but it just didn't work out....



chunkymonkey said:


> Yum! I would really like fresh ricotta on a raisin muffin now!



  I bet it was good!



chunkymonkey said:


> I agree!! Even just a studio at the Poly is up there in price!



I'm just glad to have DVC points that I can use freely!



chunkymonkey said:


> Yum I loved this!



It was very tasty!



chunkymonkey said:


> We also got this and found it really good as well!!







chunkymonkey said:


> This too! France is a winner during this festival!



I'm so glad we hit that one first! 



chunkymonkey said:


> LOL I guess I don't really buy that much art and when I do I get in online so I didn't do any art buying. We did browse and admire though!



There was a lot of nice pieces there!



chunkymonkey said:


> I enjoyed this a lot!



I don't know why Fran didn't care for it!



chunkymonkey said:


> Oooh this looks fancy! Is it smoked salmon?



I think so, but I don't eat Salmon.


----------



## SG131

franandaj said:


> Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!!!!!!!


It makes me feel better hearing both you guys having the same issue.  We took our first Disney Cruise on the Fantasy in May, went to Remy twice, and got severely lost both times!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Ah!! Okay, LOVE that area!



I've only been there the once, but I'm sure you've been a lot growing up near there.



Steppesister said:


> Wine could for sure. Who knows though, really.



Well in the way home my bags aren't checked nearly as regularly and I've drank all the wine!  



Steppesister said:


> You mean you're not so OCD as me.



I don't think I'm quite there!



Steppesister said:


> I'm thinking of getting a Chase Sapphire... need to do some more research...



I've heard that product mentioned on TV, but have no idea what benefits it returns.



Steppesister said:


> And I can't wait to hear those!



We got to get there first! Lots more adventures in between.



Steppesister said:


> I'd have been too if I'd had my heart set on it.



I need a make up.  



Steppesister said:


> Ah, I should have known! My fluency in sarcasm is slipping!!



Get on your game girl!



Steppesister said:


> I've made similar boo-boos... in fact, almost every trip. Everything from underwear to charging cords.



Yes I remember both!



Steppesister said:


> Yeah, that sounded kinda boring!



Guardians is way better.



Steppesister said:


> It's just too much food!! The waste is astronomical. I have tried lately to look at portion sizes so as not to over-order/spend.



I'll often order an appetizer instead of a meal or Fran and I split the meal. Portions are definitely out of control.



Steppesister said:


> Won't you sell them? Will they just sit or ???



Her new thing is trading the mugs with other collectors that she meets through the Trader Sam's Mug Trading Group on Facebook.



Steppesister said:


> Oohhhh, okay. Still kinda a cool parlour trick gizmo!



Yes definitely! Fun to watch it do its little thing.



Steppesister said:


> I'd never thought of Ricotta as a spread!! Hmmm, I can see mixing it with a little jam, or cinnamon and sugar and putting it on Toast of English muffin. Yum!



Normally she has me put cream cheese on it, so this was similar. At home she will have cream cheese and jam.



Steppesister said:


> Me neither! Otherwise, what's the point of points if you're going to blow the $ on interest?



We pay everything off every month....which sometimes gets difficult.



Steppesister said:


> Well, that certainly makes a good case for DVC.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> You can do it! I believe in you!



Either that or you saw it on Facebook!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> They...might want to come up with a better system for this.



Ya think?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> These prices are just astronomical. It really kills you when you're trying to find a room for 6.



Ask me if you ever want a deal on point rental...I have a friends discount based on what the rental companies charge.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Probably still beats the bus.



Yes it is faster, and eventually I got over my fears.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sometimes I really hate people. Especially those that hold up long lines.



It gets me that they are not even aware of what they're doing.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That will be $27.00.



Pretty much. 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Good for you! You're not quitters!



No we're not!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Gah! Too close!



Fran took that one. She thought it was cool.


----------



## franandaj

afwdwfan said:


> Gotta get that body clock set forward quick!



It gets better soon...



afwdwfan said:


> Um... Wow!!! This is not good.



No not at all.



afwdwfan said:


> This just means their accounting system sucks. How is that even reasonable? Oh, we'll just max out their credit card and then put it back so that we can properly account for it. What would have happened if you'd have gone somewhere and needed to use the card and it gets declined because of this?



This is our *Disney* Visa, which we use pretty much exclusively on *Disney* purchases to get double miles, so guess what card we were putting all our purchases on this trip?



afwdwfan said:


> Honestly, you handled it very well. I'd have probably stood at the counter until it was gone... If you want to put a hold of $500 or whatever as pending until checkout, fine. 6K+... nope. Fix it now.



I'm always too nice. I deal with the tenants on most occasions, but when they're behaving badly she deals with them.



afwdwfan said:


> Oh gosh. First of all, I hope that clown actually is gone from Hoop de Doo, but really? Come on, why do we need to be on a power trip just because we have a Mickey badge.



I know. Really.



afwdwfan said:


> Love a friendly CM, but sometimes we just need to move along...



Especially when there's a bunch of people waiting. At least the CM should have noticed. 



afwdwfan said:


> Sounds like it needed to be done. Did she get any kind of a satisfactory response?



Standard Disney response, "We will forward your concerns on to our security team." Don't know if it had any effect, but we did not see any other security checks with only one gate for scooters/strollers for the rest of the week.



afwdwfan said:


> I mean, the credit card is already maxed out, so what's there to worry about?



True, but we still had nearly $800 on the Disney rewards card, and we do have at least five other cards to fall back on, so she could have still done a lot of damage.


----------



## franandaj

SG131 said:


> Well you seemed to have handled this much nicer than I would've been! That's a rather large error.



Several people have said I was nice. That's why I'm not good to deal with the bad tenants.



SG131 said:


> We were at Hollywood Studios that day so it couldn't have been my mother!







SG131 said:


> We only managed to get two of the pictures as well. I was trying not to push my luck with the number of pictures I asked my mom to pose for. I have to use that request sparingly and she was a good sport with Galaxy's Edge photo ops.



I was able to get photo ops in each of the four parks, so I'll be pleased with that.



SG131 said:


> Good for Fran! I was also able to restrain myself despite having an empty suitcase on the way back that I could have easily fit some artwork in. If Epcot wouldn't have been so crazy the last day I may not have had such restraint! However, I didn't show as much restraint at the World of Disney store.......



The good thing about WoD for us is that most of the merchandise is the same as our local store, so she doesn't go crazy there.



irene_dsc said:


> I'm here! A bit late, but here! Finally caught up on your old TR and found the link here. I know I'm one of the mostly lurkers - sorry!



 



irene_dsc said:


> I can't believe they built a resort that is so dependent on the skyliners. I mean, I suppose they could add a bus if it broke down, but it just seems like a bad plan. Especially when it also is so not scooter-friendly.



Yeah, we'll get to that....



irene_dsc said:


> I can understand the vacuum - I think I'd be annoyed if something made a mess and there wasn't a way to clean it up when you only get maid service every 7 days. Especially with a full kitchen. I remember once we were at a party at friends' Airbnb, and someone knocked over an empty wine glass. Thankfully, there was a broom in the closet.



I can see that. I guess if you have a crowd of people. We are pretty mellow....



irene_dsc said:


> I totally agree on the cost savings being the reason for all those "environmentally friendly" moves, lol. I'm fine with using my sheets and towels for a few days, so that's no big deal for me.



I don't mind, I can't use the shampoos anyways, so for me it's not any kind of bonus. Less for Fran to stick in the suitcase.



irene_dsc said:


> But, I think that homeless shelters are probably the biggest losers for the toiletries. We did a bunch of donation drives back when I was a Girl Scout Leader, and we gathered a lot of hotel shampoos and stuff. I have a few random things in my hall closet now that my daughter is done with Girl Scouts - I need to find someone



I'd love to donate our stuff. It would free up an entire cupboard under one of the sinks in my bathroom.



irene_dsc said:


> And, wowza on the $6,688 charge! Glad it got resolved, but yes, that could've been a huge problem if you needed to charge something on it!



We did need to charge stuff on it! Our meals and everything else on the trip!



basketlacey said:


> Love the report so far. The room is beautiful!



 

Thanks for joining in!


----------



## franandaj

ShellB8585 said:


> I come from Disney vacation loving stock my parents and siblings still go WDW regularly and I honestly thought we would too when we were younger.



Interesting. My family went to Disneyland once when I was in Jr. High, so I had no influence from my parents. I don't know where I got it from.



ShellB8585 said:


> But as much as DH loves Disney he also wants to see more of the world so Disney cruises have been a great alternative! I have managed a few Paris trips out of him too. But I must admit I am longing for the home of WDW



I would like to go elsewhere in the world, but it's so expensive. Disbey ends up seeming like a bargain since it's all prepaid.



ShellB8585 said:


> That would be fun, I will bear that in mind should we ever make it back! For now DH has put his foot down and decided the 10hr flight from the UK was too much for the week we have so may go a little closer to home and try out somewhere new in Europe instead.



That's certainly not a bad option either.



ShellB8585 said:


> I think I would have nearly had a Heart attack too! I only use my credit cards to book vacations and for emergencies so this would have put me way way over my balance! Glad it all got sorted in the end.



We put EVERYTHING on credit cards only for the benefit of getting rewards. By fall we should have a free companion ticket for me on Southwest.



ShellB8585 said:


> This looks delicious and completely up my street!



So if you don't mind my asking, is the phrase "up my street" a UK phrase? In the US we say "up my alley", you're the second person that I've heard say that phrase with the word street instead of alley.



ShellB8585 said:


> Cute pictures! shame you didn't make it to any more but it's always best to leave reasons to go back



Thanks!



ShellB8585 said:


> Some more good looking food right there! I am definitely going to have to make more of an effort to get to one of these festivals!! Looks like a good day so far after a stressful start. Looking forward to reading some more



I really like the festivals. It seems like I haven't been to Epcot when there was not one going on for years.



dizneeat said:


> *PAGE 7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Sorry I am late. Been on vacation (non Disney, even though we went to the Disney store more than once  ). Will take me some time to catch up, but I am on it!*



 

Just think how much time you will have in just a few months!



StarB said:


> Well I'm entertained!  Thanks for sharing!



 

Glad I could entertain you.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> So when do you start?



When the cows come home.



pkondz said:


> And that's _exactly_ when I do them.



Us too but we haven't been on a road trip since 2014.



pkondz said:


> That many! Huh... Wouldn't have thought so.



I think they are assuming there are lots of littles in the party. I think it would seat six adults comfortably.



pkondz said:


> You _were_ tired!



Usually Fran is the one who needs two days of good sleep to make herself whole again.



pkondz said:


> Totally get that.
> 
> "mmm... this is good... mmm... oh shoot!"







pkondz said:


> Please don't describe it. Do your business and take up the narrative when you come out of the bathroom.



_That_ business does not even make it into the TR. 

It was eBay business and credit cards....



pkondz said:


> Holy smokes!
> 
> (Of course... I had a very similar amount charged to my card... except it was fraud. Pretty sure I didn't spend a night in a very expensive hotel in the Ukraine.)



Like the $800 in Fried Chicken that someone charged to my card?



pkondz said:


> I'm shocked you didn't keep checking it... every hour or so!



I could always contest the charge if it hit my account. I wasn't that worried. Besides, her explanation made sense to me.



pkondz said:


> 10 minutes...
> You could easily wait longer than that just for a bus to arrive!



Yes it is an efficient means of transport....when its working....



pkondz said:


> Wow. Thanks, dude... for nothing.
> How about not being discriminatory?



Yeah! Good point!



pkondz said:


> I've never heard that... not sure if I'll apply that philosophy or not!



You probably don't lose things as often as I do.  



pkondz said:


> Looks good... but very heavy!



It really wasn't.



pkondz said:


> You know... I never in a million years would've ordered that... But now that I see it and your description... it's looking pretty good!



I like stuffed tomatoes and that was one of the best fillings I've had.



pkondz said:


> I like this one the best. You guys look so much in love.



Awww....



pkondz said:


> I really like that! Even has the Nautilus in it! (RIP, Kirk)



You know that was one of the reasons that Fran bought the piece. I said I liked the Octopus and she said, "I didn't even notice that."

I said, "Funny, I didn't even see the Nautilus!"



pkondz said:


> mmmm… risotto...



It was very good! I should make some soon....



pkondz said:


> That looks really interesting. Not sure I'd order that, either. But should!



Well if you like Salmon....


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Duct tape? I swear there was tape involved.



Yes. There was tape involved but it was Flex Tape.





She actually brought it to WDW too but didn't try to take it into the parks.



rentayenta said:


> Gabby will be elated at the F&W offerings!



Well when I first looked on 2/19/20 according to my history, it seems they actually posted last years stuff. Cause when I look today it is totally different.



SG131 said:


> It makes me feel better hearing both you guys having the same issue.  We took our first Disney Cruise on the Fantasy in May, went to Remy twice, and got severely lost both times!



It wasn't so much getting lost as it was realizing that there was one entrance to the restaurant.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> When the cows come home.


Uh, oh...



​


franandaj said:


> Us too but we haven't been on a road trip since 2014.


Not that long ago. 


franandaj said:


> Usually Fran is the one who needs two days of good sleep to make herself whole again.


I always forget that for you, the time difference is much more significant.


franandaj said:


> _That_ business does not even make it into the TR.





franandaj said:


> It was eBay business and credit cards....


I figured. 


franandaj said:


> Like the $800 in Fried Chicken that someone charged to my card?


Uh... what???? How does that even happen? What the?...


franandaj said:


> I could always contest the charge if it hit my account. I wasn't that worried. Besides, her explanation made sense to me.


I suppose. I'd still be nervous.


franandaj said:


> Yes it is an efficient means of transport....when its working....


It's only stopped the one time, hasn't it?


franandaj said:


> You probably don't lose things as often as I do.


Well... probably not.  


franandaj said:


> I like stuffed tomatoes and that was one of the best fillings I've had.


High praise indeed!


franandaj said:


> You know that was one of the reasons that Fran bought the piece. I said I liked the Octopus and she said, "I didn't even notice that."


How do you not notice _that_????


franandaj said:


> I said, "Funny, I didn't even see the Nautilus!"





franandaj said:


> It was very good! I should make some soon....


I did a few days ago... But put too much parmesan in it, unfortunately. Need to make up for that.


franandaj said:


> Well if you like Salmon....


I do.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Uh, oh...
> 
> 
> 
> ​



Well, they didn't come to my home...



pkondz said:


> I always forget that for you, the time difference is much more significant.



Not to mention that we have to decompress from everyday life when we get into a non stress situation.



pkondz said:


> Uh... what???? How does that even happen? What the?...



I don't know, but in addition to charges from some utility in Maryland, $600 at Verizon, there was a charge for $800+ at Gus's Fried Chicken in Chicago.



pkondz said:


> I suppose. I'd still be nervous.



It's only money.



pkondz said:


> It's only stopped the one time, hasn't it?



 



pkondz said:


> How do you not notice _that_????



 



pkondz said:


> I did a few days ago... But put too much parmesan in it, unfortunately. Need to make up for that.



I won't be making much of anything for a little while. Besides repurposing the TriTip that we had for dinner last night, I'm going to be eating most of my meals out at Disney during the next week!


----------



## franandaj

So catching up on my second update.  I asked if anyone understood Fran’s reference to the entrance to Topolino’s “being just like the Fantasy.”  Most of you responding had not been on a Disney Cruise so you had no idea, but Su-Lynn aka @chunkymonkey got it!  When you are on the Fantasy (and Dream), there are two fancy restaurants at the back of the ship. When you take the aft elevator to Deck 11 there are only three places to go and they are all either restaurants or bars.  Well, I suppose there is a fourth option which is you could take the stairs down.

The same is true for Topolino’s. When you get out of the elevator, you can either go to the bar or the podium, there are not long winding hallways for you to get lost.  So that was the reference.  It only took until page 6 for someone to get it!  


When we left off, we had filled ourselves up by dining at a couple kiosks while we were on our way to our next stop, Mousegears. We got the annual pass magnet and she found all kinds of great stuff there.





She wanted me to add that she didn't buy hardly any of the good stuff that she found.

We decided to head to Mexico to get some Margaritas and motored past these chalk drawings on the ground on the way there.





This was our first time visiting the new margarita place.





We got one Strawberry Margarita, which I thought was too sweet so I let her finish it.





I had "La Choza" Clásica, Ocho Blanco Tequila, Orange Liqueur, Fresh Lime Juice, Agave Nectar, The Withers Rosé Wine and Black Ant Salt rim





She said that next time she would get this one as well.

We decided to take the long way back to the International Gateway, and we browsed all the art tents as we made our way along.  Luckily they didn’t seem to have a lot from our favorite artists, so we weren’t really tempted.

When we reached Germany we stopped at Karamel Kuche to get some treats to enjoy in the room. This picture was taken in the room but it shows what we bought.





She suggested we get something to snack on at multiple locations, but I was just too full. We had a very nice dinner for that evening and I wanted to be hungry for it.

In the American Pavilion I peeked in here.  It would be opening very soon and I had sort of hoped that we would be able to come back and try it, but that just didn’t happen.





While we were browsing the art shops, we came across this Sebastian figure.  He was only $6,000 and change.  A sum that was sort of in my head from this morning’s events…..





We must have sounded pretty obnoxious as we bantered back and forth.


Fran:  Well, give me your card, I’ll keep it in mind. We do have a vacant apartment that might rent soon that may cover this.
Me: We still have the property taxes to pay.
Fran: Well who knows, if we sell one of the cars. I plan to list the 73 Cougar this spring.
Me: What about the roofs that we need to replace?
Fran: Oh you take all the fun out of everything!


We finished our loop and headed out to the skyliner. I was a little concerned about the evening as we had a sort of late dinner at Yachtsman and we would need to take the Skyliner home. It closed at 10PM so I asked the CM operating the ride what happens if we are late this evening. In a less than magical voice he said, "You're not riding this!" And laughed. I wished I'd gotten his name cause I would have loved to let his lead know about this.

On this ride, Fran went first and I much preferred having her waiting for me at the end rather than my going first and having to wait for her. I had much less anxiousness.

When we got back to the room, we found this.





Also the dishwasher had been run, and the coffee maker all cleaned up and run with the dishes that I had placed in it.  I usually wait to run the dishwasher at home so that I can do a full load, but mousekeeping seems to like to run it whenever they come into the room.  We realized that with all this tidyness that they think we are staying on cash and that’s why we are getting daily service.  OK, I won’t tell them otherwise. 

Fran took a nap, while I caught up on a bit of the DIS. It was only about an hour, but I think that little bit of recharge did good for her. We got dressed for dinner and headed out again. This time I left my scooter in the room. Since we were only going to the Yacht Club and not Epcot, I thought it wouldn't be a problem. In hindsight, my legs were pretty sore the next day, but I suppose it was good to stretch and exercise my legs. However, prolonged walking would definitely take me out for a couple days.

As we walked through the BC, we found S&V having a drink in Martha's Vineyard, they had just paid the check so we all made our way to Yachtsman.

We didn't wait long before we were seated. I ordered my Belvedere Gibson up, but they did not have the cocktail onions, so instead I had them put a twist of lemon in there.





We perused the menu, although Fran and I had a pretty good idea of what we were going to get.





They brought us the lovely onion rolls with roasted garlic and butter. I tried not to eat too much of this so that I had room for my steak. 





Everyone else at the table ordered the Lobster Bisque. I had a taste of Fran's and it was delicious! But I wanted to save room for the main event.





Vinny and I decided to split a bottle of wine and it was wonderful.





Fran and I split the Rib Eye with shallot butter, it was cooked perfectly.





On the side we got Creamed spinach, also fantastic.





The potatoes au gratin, these are so good!





And Thick Cut Steakhouse Bacon, so yummy!





My plate….





It was all delicious! I finished everything but the steak, so we have that to look forward to in the room. Since I didn't finish the steak, I still had room for dessert.





We had the S'mores Sundae. This was very tasty! There were little chunks of something kind of like pavlova in there that gave a nice crunch to it, they might have been graham cracker chunks, not sure, but I would order this again!





After we settled up the check, Fran and I took off. It was 9:35 and I didnt want to chance missing the skyliner. The regular line was HUGE! But it looked like it moved pretty quickly. We were taken aside and directed to another queue. You see for guests in wheelchairs or scooters they have a special boarding area at all the stations except the Riviera. The HA cars (which are actually no different than the others, but those cars have chocks to put behind the wheels to brace the scooter), these cars come off the regular line and actually stop to let folks board. This line was much much shorter. We only had 3 cars of people in front of us, but since the HA cars are every 10th car or so, we did wait a little bit. We made it just in time though, because once we were in line, about six more parties with scooters pulled in behind us.

Once we were back in the room we checked stuff online for a bit before I decided to take another bath. It was after midnight before I crawled into bed, but again I slept really well.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well, they didn't come to my home...


Close call!


franandaj said:


> Not to mention that we have to decompress from everyday life when we get into a non stress situation.


I totally get that. I'd kill for a vacation right about now.


franandaj said:


> I don't know, but in addition to charges from some utility in Maryland, $600 at Verizon, there was a charge for $800+ at Gus's Fried Chicken in Chicago.



You got it all back, though?


franandaj said:


> It's only money.


 


franandaj said:


> I won't be making much of anything for a little while. Besides repurposing the TriTip that we had for dinner last night, I'm going to be eating most of my meals out at Disney during the next week!


Yay!!


franandaj said:


> she found all kinds of great stuff there.


Wait a second! She only has _one hat_ in her hand!!!


franandaj said:


> She wanted me to add that she didn't buy hardly any of the good stuff that she found.


If it was good... she should've bought it! 


franandaj said:


> We got one Strawberry Margarita, which I thought was too sweet so I let her finish it.


Sounds good to me. I'd have that...


franandaj said:


> I had "La Choza" Clásica, Ocho Blanco Tequila, Orange Liqueur, Fresh Lime Juice, Agave Nectar, The Withers Rosé Wine and Black Ant Salt rim


… but I'd probably rather have that. 
I'll get both and compare. 


franandaj said:


> Luckily they didn’t seem to have a lot from our favorite artists, so we weren’t really tempted.


"Luckily"??


franandaj said:


> When we reached Germany we stopped at Karamel Kuche to get some treats to enjoy in the room. This picture was taken in the room but it shows what we bought.


Yummmm….


franandaj said:


> In the American Pavilion I peeked in here. It would be opening very soon


I presume that's the new BBQ place? Where's it going to be?


franandaj said:


> While we were browsing the art shops, we came across this Sebastian figure. He was only $6,000 and change. A sum that was sort of in my head from this morning’s events…..


I can see why. I can also see "Well... it's already on the card, so... it's like I'm breaking even!"


franandaj said:


> Fran: Well, give me your card, I’ll keep it in mind. We do have a vacant apartment that might rent soon that may cover this.
> Me: We still have the property taxes to pay.
> Fran: Well who knows, if we sell one of the cars. I plan to list the 73 Cougar this spring.
> Me: What about the roofs that we need to replace?
> Fran: Oh you take all the fun out of everything!


 Stop spoiling her fun!


franandaj said:


> I asked the CM operating the ride what happens if we are late this evening. In a less than magical voice he said, "You're not riding this!" And laughed. I wished I'd gotten his name cause I would have loved to let his lead know about this.



Thanks for the help.


franandaj said:


> We realized that with all this tidyness that they think we are staying on cash and that’s why we are getting daily service. OK, I won’t tell them otherwise.


Oh! That explains it. And... yeah... mum's the word.


franandaj said:


> Everyone else at the table ordered the Lobster Bisque.


As would I, had I been there.


franandaj said:


> And Thick Cut Steakhouse Bacon, so yummy!


Holy crap!


franandaj said:


> It was all delicious!


Looks it!


franandaj said:


> We were taken aside and directed to another queue. You see for guests in wheelchairs or scooters they have a special boarding area at all the stations except the Riviera. The HA cars (which are actually no different than the others, but those cars have chocks to put behind the wheels to brace the scooter), these cars come off the regular line and actually stop to let folks board. This line was much much shorter. We only had 3 cars of people in front of us, but since the HA cars are every 10th car or so, we did wait a little bit


Interesting. Didn't know they took cars off and stopped them. Didn't even know that was possible. Huh!


----------



## tiggrbaby

What an amazing dinner!

What a rude CM!


----------



## rentayenta

Dinner looks amazing and the steak looks perfect! 

The dessert looks fabulous as well. Love anything marshmallow.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Ask me if you ever want a deal on point rental...I have a friends discount based on what the rental companies charge.



You're the best, Alison!  Thanks!

There's a possibility we could take you up on that in 2021.  We've talked about doing Southern California for a vacation.  Right now it depends on what Sarah's college costs are going to be.  That might put a dent in the vacation budget.



franandaj said:


> The same is true for Topolino’s. When you get out of the elevator, you can either go to the bar or the podium, there are not long winding hallways for you to get lost. So that was the reference. It only took until page 6 for someone to get it!



Thanks for explaining it and not leaving us hanging!



franandaj said:


> She wanted me to add that she didn't buy hardly any of the good stuff that she found.



 Sounds like she knows she's getting a reputation!



franandaj said:


> In the American Pavilion I peeked in here. It would be opening very soon and I had sort of hoped that we would be able to come back and try it, but that just didn’t happen.



Darn.  I have high hopes for that place.



franandaj said:


> While we were browsing the art shops, we came across this Sebastian figure. He was only $6,000 and change. A sum that was sort of in my head from this morning’s events…..



Totally worth it! 



franandaj said:


> Fran: Well, give me your card, I’ll keep it in mind. We do have a vacant apartment that might rent soon that may cover this.
> Me: We still have the property taxes to pay.
> Fran: Well who knows, if we sell one of the cars. I plan to list the 73 Cougar this spring.
> Me: What about the roofs that we need to replace?
> Fran: Oh you take all the fun out of everything!







franandaj said:


> It closed at 10PM so I asked the CM operating the ride what happens if we are late this evening. In a less than magical voice he said, "You're not riding this!" And laughed. I wished I'd gotten his name cause I would have loved to let his lead know about this.



That's, um...less than helpful.



franandaj said:


> We realized that with all this tidyness that they think we are staying on cash and that’s why we are getting daily service. OK, I won’t tell them otherwise.







franandaj said:


> Fran and I split the Rib Eye with shallot butter, it was cooked perfectly.



Doesn't look like it was cooked at all! 



franandaj said:


> The potatoes au gratin, these are so good!



I remember those, and yes...I could use some more!



franandaj said:


> And Thick Cut Steakhouse Bacon, so yummy!







franandaj said:


> The HA cars (which are actually no different than the others, but those cars have chocks to put behind the wheels to brace the scooter), these cars come off the regular line and actually stop to let folks board.



Now that system actually makes sense.


----------



## TinkHappy

So much fun!! Following along


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> The coffee I bought the day before was really good!



Yay! Nothing like starting out with a nice cup of Joe, rather than a shotty one.



franandaj said:


> Fran asked for another half of muffin with some of the leftover Ricotta on it.



Yummmm!!



franandaj said:


> I see a charge for $6,688.00 by Disney Resort Services…..WHAT THE….???????



Ahhh haaa!!  And there lies the TR title!



franandaj said:


> For weeknights the room charge itself was $578, the OC Tourist Development Tax was $34.68, and the OC Accommodation Tax was $2.89. On Friday and Saturday the same respective fees were $616, $39.36, and $3.08





franandaj said:


> Well now we know. A room like this would cost around $600.00 per night on cash. DVC was one of the best investments we have ever made! Even the SSR room was up there in price!



Completely numbers I can't fathom spending on a room, just another world, espec once you factor the exchange. 
Wish we'd known about DVC when our dollar was better.



franandaj said:


> cause he rudely told us we couldn't go in his line and had to go back to the Scooter/stroller line and wait our turn.



Geez who P'd in his cornflakes?




franandaj said:


> Fran was pretty miffed by the time we got through the line and she went right to Guest Relations and calmly explained her frustrations. Fran edit: She calls it a polite rant



Sounds like myself..



franandaj said:


> Dang. Now we would have to spring for a one use bottle of water!



27 dollars later hey...



franandaj said:


> I ended up getting two of the baseball caps that they had. One to use and one to lose as Fran says.



I remember this about you buying earrings! Extra's of the ones you love 



franandaj said:


> We got one of everything food wise The melted Brie came in a little bread bowl and it was very tasty.



I'm prob the only person who isn't keen on Brie..I don't know what it is, just not my fav.



franandaj said:


>



This looks yummm and I'm not a huge tomato person, well I prefer them cooked then raw. 



franandaj said:


> We also got the French Martini. This was very good!



Dang, that looks fab right now (I could totally drink it at 9:28 am) 



franandaj said:


> We went for a photo op in one of the portraits, Luncheon of the Boating Party.



What a cool idea, great pics!



franandaj said:


> They actually had one of the paintings that we have on our wall at home in that booth. The artist was at DTD (back when they called it that) and actually signed the back of it for her. It's called "One Man Band"



D loves this, goofy being his fav, and having been musical himself.



franandaj said:


> The only thing that I wanted here was the Risotto. I thought it was really good, but Fran didn’t seem to care for it at all.



Looks yummy, but I am not an experienced risotto eater- I like it, but just not something I cook. 



franandaj said:


> She got the Salmon Gateau, and thought it was just fabulous.



Dorian was drooling over this..I'm not a cold fish person, so not my thing, but he gives it the big thumbs up



franandaj said:


>



Well hello there! Talk about in your face!


----------



## DnA2010

Me again!



franandaj said:


> So that was the reference. It only took until page 6 for someone to get it!



I think I need to do more Disney cruises so I can get the reference   



franandaj said:


> motored past these chalk drawings on the ground on the way there.



Very nice! I always like seeing the "water" drawings too




franandaj said:


> We got one Strawberry Margarita, which I thought was too sweet so I let her finish it.



That reminds me of the yard long drinks that everyone was carrying around in Vegas!



franandaj said:


> I had "La Choza" Clásica, Ocho Blanco Tequila, Orange Liqueur, Fresh Lime Juice, Agave Nectar, The Withers Rosé Wine and Black Ant Salt rim



yumm this sounds gooood!



franandaj said:


> stopped at Karamel Kuche to get some treats to enjoy in the room. This picture was taken in the room but it shows what we bought.



Sea salt caramels, the marshmallow wheels I need to try annnd ? 



franandaj said:


> Me: What about the roofs that we need to replace?
> Fran: Oh you take all the fun out of everything!



LOL that's marriage for ya!



franandaj said:


> Belvedere Gibson up, but they did not have the cocktail onions, so instead I had them put a twist of lemon in there.



Did the twist stay out or go in the glass?



franandaj said:


> They brought us the lovely onion rolls with roasted garlic and butter. I tried not to eat too much of this so that I had room for my steak.



my gawd those look good- love roasted garlic



franandaj said:


> split a bottle of wine and it was wonderful.



sounds pretty good to me!



franandaj said:


> My plate….



this looks just perfect! 



franandaj said:


> We had the S'mores Sundae.



You guys are fans of S'mores stuff hey?


----------



## cruisehopeful

franandaj said:


> We decided to head to Mexico to get some Margaritas and motored past these chalk drawings on the ground on the way there.


Did you try jumping into the chalk drawings? I think if you do, you end up in a totally different land. 


franandaj said:


> They brought us the lovely onion rolls with roasted garlic and butter.


Oh, no. I don't think I could stop myself from eating all of those. 

Daily mousekeeping? Sounds like some Disney magic to me.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I totally get that. I'd kill for a vacation right about now.



I hope you have something coming up!



pkondz said:


> You got it all back, though?



Yes they credited it all back. It was fraud.



pkondz said:


> Wait a second! She only has _one hat_ in her hand!!!



That's cause it was for her. *I'm* the one who loses stuff.



pkondz said:


> If it was good... she should've bought it!



Good is subjective with her. Everything is good.



pkondz said:


> Sounds good to me. I'd have that...



You do like your sweet drinks.



pkondz said:


> … but I'd probably rather have that.
> I'll get both and compare.



There you go. We did and and I liked the more savory one.



pkondz said:


> "Luckily"??




Well we can spend a bunch of money when we both find something we like. That day we went to the Star Wars GE preview we ended up dropping $800+ cause we each found paintings we wanted Nd the darned things are still not on our walls. We need to do rotational artwork.



pkondz said:


> I presume that's the new BBQ place? Where's it going to be?



In the American pavillion.



pkondz said:


> I can see why. I can also see "Well... it's already on the card, so... it's like I'm breaking even!"



That did kinda cross my mind. Until I realized that I could not afford the charge in the first place!



pkondz said:


> Stop spoiling her fun!



I know. I'm no fun.



pkondz said:


> Thanks for the help.



Exactly.



pkondz said:


> Oh! That explains it. And... yeah... mum's the word.







pkondz said:


> As would I, had I been there.



It was good.



pkondz said:


> Holy crap!



Holy Bacon Batman!



pkondz said:


> Looks it!







pkondz said:


> Interesting. Didn't know they took cars off and stopped them. Didn't even know that was possible. Huh!



There is a secondary loading area. I was pointing it out to Fran back in October when the Skyliner was shut down during our visit.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> What an amazing dinner!
> 
> What a rude CM!



It was a fabulous meal.  I was astonished by the CMs lack of magical demeanor!



rentayenta said:


> Dinner looks amazing and the steak looks perfect!
> 
> The dessert looks fabulous as well. Love anything marshmallow.



It was cooked perfectly, although not everyone reading seems to think so. 

Marshmallow = Happiness


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I hope you have something coming up!


According to my ticker... 2 months and 4 days. 


franandaj said:


> Yes they credited it all back. It was fraud.


Hope you didn't have to jump through any hoops.


franandaj said:


> That's cause it was for her. *I'm* the one who loses stuff.



So that whole "One to wear, one to lose"... is all about _you_?????  


franandaj said:


> Good is subjective with her. Everything is good.


Well that's not good... or... is it?


franandaj said:


> You do like your sweet drinks.


Matches my personality. 
Cloying and disagreeable.


franandaj said:


> Well we can spend a bunch of money when we both find something we like. That day we went to the Star Wars GE preview we ended up dropping $800+ cause we each found paintings we wanted Nd the darned things are still not on our walls. We need to do rotational artwork.


You need your own gallery!


franandaj said:


> In the American pavillion.


 
I know that! 
I meant _where_ at the American pavilion.


franandaj said:


> That did kinda cross my mind. Until I realized that I could not afford the charge in the first place!


 


franandaj said:


> Holy Bacon Batman!




​


----------



## elsbit

I LOVE when your posts are peppered with Fran comments, as they keep making me laugh! We have a reservation for Yachtsman coming up and your pictures look delicious! My 11 year old is a foodie and bacon fiend and will love your bacon dish. Bacon is on my bad list right now because last month I suffered bacon grease burns on my face, neck and stomach  and am still healing. Looks like my neck will be scarred.  

Our Riveria trip in days away! Your posts are making me excited!


----------



## Judique

It turns out that the line originates at CBR goes to the Riviera, makes a turn towards the Boardwalk and in front of the Boardwalk makes another turn towards Epcot.

I was at Boardwalk during some of your trip. So I just started reading your trip report and came across this picture with my car parked at Boardwalk! Thanks for writing your report! Gives me lots of ideas of what to go eat while on my next visit!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I've only been there the once, but I'm sure you've been a lot growing up near there.



My family was part of a Jeep/4x4 club that often had "rallies" in the desert. We'd go every year to Borrego to camp and just hang out and play cards and have fun. I love it there!



franandaj said:


> Well in the way home my bags aren't checked nearly as regularly and I've drank all the wine!



 



franandaj said:


> I've heard that product mentioned on TV, but have no idea what benefits it returns.



Free Global Entry, a sizable kickback, lounge access, and some other stuff. Lyft Plus being another. But the fee went way up since my friend bought it and now I'm not sure it's worth it. 




franandaj said:


> I'll often order an appetizer instead of a meal or Fran and I split the meal. Portions are definitely out of control.



They reallly are. Such a sad waste of food, especially at Disney where you tend not to eat leftovers. I suppose if you were staying with a place that had a good place to eat and dishes and stuff, sure, but I want to eat out when I'm on vacation, not "cook" and eat "in". 



franandaj said:


> Her new thing is trading the mugs with other collectors that she meets through the Trader Sam's Mug Trading Group on Facebook.



Oooh, that makes sense! 



franandaj said:


> Normally she has me put cream cheese on it, so this was similar. At home she will have cream cheese and jam.



Shopping day is next week. I'll add some to my list. 



franandaj said:


> We pay everything off every month....which sometimes gets difficult.



For sure, but if you don't you pay in interest the perks you get and it defeats the whole purpose. 



franandaj said:


> She wanted me to add that she didn't buy hardly any of the good stuff that she found.



Setting the record straight. 

Good for you, Fran! LOL!



franandaj said:


> This was our first time visiting the new margarita place.



The empanadas are a food from the gods. 



franandaj said:


> Fran: Well, give me your card, I’ll keep it in mind. We do have a vacant apartment that might rent soon that may cover this.
> Me: We still have the property taxes to pay.
> Fran: Well who knows, if we sell one of the cars. I plan to list the 73 Cougar this spring.
> Me: What about the roofs that we need to replace?
> Fran: Oh you take all the fun out of everything!



 Okay that was funny. 


franandaj said:


> We realized that with all this tidyness that they think we are staying on cash and that’s why we are getting daily service. OK, I won’t tell them otherwise.



Nice! And no, they don't have to know. 



franandaj said:


>



Lordy! Roast garlic is THE BEST!!!



franandaj said:


>


Drool!!!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> You're the best, Alison! Thanks!
> 
> There's a possibility we could take you up on that in 2021. We've talked about doing Southern California for a vacation. Right now it depends on what Sarah's college costs are going to be. That might put a dent in the vacation budget.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Thanks for explaining it and not leaving us hanging!



You're welcome!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sounds like she knows she's getting a reputation!



She's known that for a while. This TR she's reading  some of my updates in advance.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Darn. I have high hopes for that place.



So far it gets good reviews!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Totally worth it!



 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That's, um...less than helpful.



And magical.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Doesn't look like it was cooked at all!



Its brown on the outside. I like my steak still mooing.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I remember those, and yes...I could use some more!



I made something very similar along with a half ham a couple weeks ago and they sure were good too!



Captain_Oblivious said:


>



Thanks for that!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Now that system actually makes sense.



And it worked quite well.


----------



## franandaj

TinkHappy said:


> So much fun!! Following along





More fun to come.



DnA2010 said:


> Yay! Nothing like starting out with a nice cup of Joe, rather than a shotty one.



Absolutely.



DnA2010 said:


> Yummmm!!



A new breakfast of champions.



DnA2010 said:


> Ahhh haaa!! And there lies the TR title!



As soon as I got back from the lobby that day, I was like, "I totally know the name of this TR!"



DnA2010 said:


> Completely numbers I can't fathom spending on a room, just another world, espec once you factor the exchange.
> Wish we'd known about DVC when our dollar was better.



Oh, I know! Me neither! I just happened to be looking up hotel prices in Anaheim and the Grand was $728 per night. I can not even imagine spending that on just a regular hotel room. I'm so spoiled by DVC!



DnA2010 said:


> Geez who P'd in his cornflakes?



   I love that!



DnA2010 said:


> Sounds like myself..



There are a lot of similarities....



DnA2010 said:


> 27 dollars later hey...



How did both you and Captain_O come up with that number?



DnA2010 said:


> I remember this about you buying earrings! Extra's of the ones you love



It can come in handy!



DnA2010 said:


> I'm prob the only person who isn't keen on Brie..I don't know what it is, just not my fav.



Its not my favorite either, but I don't mind it.



DnA2010 said:


> This looks yummm and I'm not a huge tomato person, well I prefer them cooked then raw.



I like them best from my garden, but it's been a while since I've had the time to grow them.



DnA2010 said:


> Dang, that looks fab right now (I could totally drink it at 9:28 am)



   I'm not so good with drinking in the early AM. Best for me to wait until closer to 5PM.



DnA2010 said:


> What a cool idea, great pics!



I wish we'd done more of them.



DnA2010 said:


> D loves this, goofy being his fav, and having been musical himself.



He has good taste!



DnA2010 said:


> Looks yummy, but I am not an experienced risotto eater- I like it, but just not something I cook



At the first Napa Rose Cooking school I went to Chef Sutton taught us to make Risotto. I'm not an expert, but I have a little insight.



DnA2010 said:


> Dorian was drooling over this..I'm not a cold fish person, so not my thing, but he gives it the big thumbs up



I never really thought about cold fish. I think the only I like it is as sushi.



DnA2010 said:


> Well hello there! Talk about in your face!



I know! Fran thought this one was amusing.



DnA2010 said:


> Me again!



Hi again! 



DnA2010 said:


> I think I need to do more Disney cruises so I can get the reference



I think we all need more Disney Cruises!



DnA2010 said:


> Very nice! I always like seeing the "water" drawings too



They're very pretty.



DnA2010 said:


> That reminds me of the yard long drinks that everyone was carrying around in Vegas!



We just need a longer glass!



DnA2010 said:


> yumm this sounds gooood!



I liked it way better than




DnA2010 said:


> Sea salt caramels, the marshmallow wheels I need to try annnd ?



S'mores bar with caramel.



DnA2010 said:


> LOL that's marriage for ya!







DnA2010 said:


> Did the twist stay out or go in the glass?



I don't remember.   



DnA2010 said:


> my gawd those look good- love roasted garlic



They are soooooo good!



DnA2010 said:


> sounds pretty good to me!







DnA2010 said:


> this looks just perfect!







DnA2010 said:


> You guys are fans of S'mores stuff hey?



Obviously.....I didn't even realize that we got two versions in the same day!  We ate the one from the caramel place on another day.


----------



## franandaj

cruisehopeful said:


> Did you try jumping into the chalk drawings? I think if you do, you end up in a totally different land.



I think you've been spending a little too much time with Ms Poppins!    Either that or that stuff you think is Pixie Dust is something else entirely! 



cruisehopeful said:


> Oh, no. I don't think I could stop myself from eating all of those.



I'm lucky enough to eat enough yummy meals that I've learned to pace myself. There is just too much yummy goodness out there!



cruisehopeful said:


> Daily mousekeeping? Sounds like some Disney magic to me.



Funny thing is that I've gotten used to DVC and don't necessarily like someone coming into my room and messing with my stuff!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> According to my ticker... 2 months and 4 days.



I'm only posting from my phone. I can't see your ticker. Is that the Alaskan Cruise?



pkondz said:


> Hope you didn't have to jump through any hoops.



Nope. Just a phone call.



pkondz said:


> So that whole "One to wear, one to lose"... is all about _you_?????



I told you I lose things. A lot.



pkondz said:


> Well that's not good... or... is it?



I'd say not so good. She tends to want to buy everything. Hence the state of our house.



pkondz said:


> Matches my personality.
> Cloying and disagreeable.







pkondz said:


> You need your own gallery!



That was what our new house was supposed to be, yet some of our walls are still waiting to have the paintings she wants hung on them.



pkondz said:


> I know that!
> I meant _where_ at the American pavilion.


----------



## franandaj

elsbit said:


> I LOVE when your posts are peppered with Fran comments, as they keep making me laugh!



I'm glad she makes you laugh. She can be rather funny at times.



elsbit said:


> We have a reservation for Yachtsman coming up and your pictures look delicious! My 11 year old is a foodie and bacon fiend and will love your bacon dish. Bacon is on my bad list right now because last month I suffered bacon grease burns on my face, neck and stomach and am still healing. Looks like my neck will be scarred.



I'm sorry to hear about your burns. I hope you heal quickly. I should find out the name of the cream my mom have me when my arms were heavily scarred. Maybe that could help you.



elsbit said:


> Our Riveria trip in days away! Your posts are making me excited!



Hopefully you're there or on the way!


----------



## franandaj

Judique said:


> I was at Boardwalk during some of your trip. So I just started reading your trip report and came across this picture with my car parked at Boardwalk! Thanks for writing your report! Gives me lots of ideas of what to go eat while on my next visit!



 

What a funny coincidence! We may not get on a lot of rides but we certainly excel at eating!


----------



## DnA2010

Ohh replies....means updates


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> My family was part of a Jeep/4x4 club that often had "rallies" in the desert. We'd go every year to Borrego to camp and just hang out and play cards and have fun. I love it there!



Ah, my family was much less.. active.



Steppesister said:


> Free Global Entry, a sizable kickback, lounge access, and some other stuff. Lyft Plus being another. But the fee went way up since my friend bought it and now I'm not sure it's worth it.



Hmmm....I'm good with our cards and perks.



Steppesister said:


> They reallly are. Such a sad waste of food, especially at Disney where you tend not to eat leftovers. I suppose if you were staying with a place that had a good place to eat and dishes and stuff, sure, but I want to eat out when I'm on vacation, not "cook" and eat "in".



As you will see (and have seen), we do take advantage of our fridge and kitchen.



Steppesister said:


> Shopping day is next week. I'll add some to my list.



Reminds me. I think I need to put cream cheese on my list too.



Steppesister said:


> For sure, but if you don't you pay in interest the perks you get and it defeats the whole purpose.



Truth.



Steppesister said:


> Setting the record straight.
> 
> Good for you, Fran! LOL!







Steppesister said:


> The empanadas are a food from the gods.



I will remember that next time!



Steppesister said:


> Okay that was funny.



I'm glad someone thought so!



Steppesister said:


> Nice! And no, they don't have to know.



 



Steppesister said:


> Lordy! Roast garlic is THE BEST!!!



As long as you both eat it!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Ohh replies....means updates



We shall see....I may have a long night ahead of me.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I'm only posting from my phone. I can't see your ticker. Is that the Alaskan Cruise?


There's no ticker now.
Alaskan cruise canceled. Our chief health officer basically said. "Stay off cruises."
While I'm not concerned for myself, my 80+ year old mother is certainly concerned. So... canceled.


franandaj said:


> Nope. Just a phone call.


That's good.


franandaj said:


> I told you I lose things. A lot.


Apparently!


franandaj said:


> That was what our new house was supposed to be, yet some of our walls are still waiting to have the paintings she wants hung on them.


Your house needs more walls.

 


And thanks for the info re: BBQ spot. Can't quote just that picture for some reason.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> There's no ticker now.
> Alaskan cruise canceled. Our chief health officer basically said. "Stay off cruises."
> While I'm not concerned for myself, my 80+ year old mother is certainly concerned. So... canceled.



Similar update coming soon....



pkondz said:


> Your house needs more walls.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And thanks for the info re: BBQ spot. Can't quote just that picture for some reason.



Well we do have a few walls still without pictures, but we know which ones are supposed to go there. Just haven't had the chance to hang them because they are very high. We may need some help and to rent a ladder for that. 

You're welcome on the BBQ spot.  Just wish I could have tried it last trip!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Similar update coming soon....


Oh, no...


franandaj said:


> Well we do have a few walls still without pictures, but we know which ones are supposed to go there. Just haven't had the chance to hang them because they are very high. We may need some help and to rent a ladder for that.


I'd be happy to help... but you might have to wait a bit...


----------



## franandaj

So this COVID-19 thing. I'm not buying into the mass hysteria. I didn't feel the need to wear a mask when I was in Disneyland. I haven't done the TP rope drop at Costco. Thanks for that one @Steppesister! We stocked up in November when Fran ordered me twelve 12 packs of double rolls. Then when they didn't arrive promptly, I asked if she was sure that she placed the order, she ordered eight more! So I was hoarding TP before it became cool.


However, Fran and her compromised immune system has bought into the hysteria. Just today I opened a box shipped to us with nine 20.5 oz bottles of Aloe Vera so that she can make her own hand sanitizer. 


With all the cruise stuff going on, Disney made an offer to customers that if they would like to reschedule an upcoming cruise to anytime in the next 12 months they would do so at no charge. I didn't have a problem sailing on our upcoming cruise because Disney is ahead of the bar. They had already started temporal scanning of passengers prior to boarding, and banning passengers who had traveled to at risk countries. But since Fran was terrified, we took them up on their offer and rescheduled for April 2, 2021. The sad part is that for what we paid for a 7 night cruise in 2020, we could only get a 5 night cruise in 2021. I sure hope that when the new ships come out, the older ships go down in price since their market will be somewhat flooded.


Also in the last couple weeks we recieved notification from Southwest that our flights to Portland for the Band convention this summer were altered. The non stop flights we had booked had been canceled and rescheduled due to the grounding of the Max 8 jets. We were able to use this to our advantage and cancel the flights altogether. We were already talking about whether it would be a good idea for Fran to be in a room of over a hundred other people blowing hot air, and we were looking for a way to potentially get out of the airfare.  We can always reassess the situation as it gets closer and if things calm down we could always rebook the tickets. We may even have Companion status by then! We didn't cancel the hotel or conference, just the airfare.


So now at this point we really don't have anything to look forward to except two nights at the Grand for DLs 55th anniversary in July and a cruise next April.


Maybe if we can get the apartments rented we will take a spur of the moment trip to Vegas!


OK back to the TR at hand.


Day 4


Today I woke up at 6AM and I felt alive and really good. I didn't need to lay back down and go to sleep, so I was having hope for riding RotR the next day. I caught back up on my TR notes and then I got dressed and made breakfast.









Today we were out of the room by 10:15. Since WS didn't open until 11AM and the ride on the Skyliner only takes 10 minutes, we took a little bit of time to check out the grounds. Sorry no pictures. The day was gloomy and windy with a little bit of humidity. I was hoping for a nicer day for pictures. But even though the weather did improve, pictures never happened.

We headed to the Skyliner and discovered that being the second stop on the boarding process, can make finding an empty car difficult. Fran got a car right away, but I had to wait until the second HA car came around until I could go. The able bodied folks were just as much out of luck as nearly every car that came over from CBR was already filled.

We finally made it to Epcot. This time at security they had two lines for wheelchairs and strollers open, but they were all filled with able bodied people. Then people with scooters and strollers were going through the regular guests line. Yay for consistency Disney!

We perused the shops in the UK and she ended up finding me a funny T-shirt. 





I wasn't super hungry yet so we looked in some more shops (without purchasing anything) and decided to watch the new Canada circlevision. It was very nicely done, and the last part was like Soarin over Canada.

The day before I took a picture with the signage and topiary, but I didn’t like it, so we did it again.





By then I was finally getting hungry so we visited Deconstructed Dish. 









We got the Deconstructed BLT. This was very good, although I'm not sure why it had a poached egg.





We also got the Deconstructed Reuben. The sauerkraut was made into a kind of patty that was breaded and fried and placed underneath the corned beef. The cornichon was a nice touch. This was a very unique presentation. 









This Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake was the best of the three. However I ended up putting it back together to eat it.





While we were eating these dishes, I got a text from Michael @Flosbolna's husband asking where we were. I also got a text from Ellen asking the same thing. Michael caught up with us and we visited another kiosk. This one was Pop Eats.





Michael doesn’t like to have his picture taken, and on another TR I substituted one face on that TR. He didn’t like that one very much, and now it’s not even appropriate anymore, so Fran suggested we use Grumpy Cat for this picture that he photobombed.





Just as we had received our food Ellen found us. Obviously they had met before because she looked at him and said, "You again?" They laughed and ended up chit chatting most of the time we hung out together.

We both got the Sousvide chicken. It was good but pretty salty. 





I did not like this almond cake at all, and after one bite gave up. Fran didn't care for it much either and Michael was the one who ended up finishing it off.





This Pop't Art was just OK and we took half of it back with us. 





Michael and Ellen wanted to go see the Epcot preview in the old Odyssey building. Fran didn't remember seeing it last October, so we went with them. After the preview was over, Fran decided to go back to the room and take a nap. Ellen had to go to Universal for the rest of her work trip, rough work!

Michael and I went to ride Nemo, by the time we actually made it there his FP had been over for more than 20 minutes. It didn't matter it was a walk on.


































For some reason when he made FPs for himself upon entering the park, he made one for all three of us, Fran and myself included. The window for his Spaceship Earth FP had opened, so we headed in that direction.  And this is probably as good a place as any to wrap up this portion of the TR.


Be back with Spaceship Earth and fun with the Skyliner!


----------



## Dis_Yoda

Don't blame you for not buying in the hysteria!  We aren't here either.  All the cases in our county are travel related because wealthy retirees like to travel the world.  I'm glad we had TP and Paper Towels already.  Worst case, I can just use hand towels in place of paper towels.  Hopefully you get the apartments rented out!  We're in savings mode as well but my husband is possibly having to move to another state for work and until thats all figured out, time to not spend tons!  

Sorry you had to cancel your cruise you had planned!  The prices have gotten crazy for what you get.  

The dishes look nice at the Festival of the Arts.  My mother and I only got a couple of dishes and I think I just drank my lunch that day.


----------



## SG131

franandaj said:


> we paid for a 7 night cruise in 2020, we could only get a 5 night cruise in 2021.


We are doing a 5 night May 1, 2021.  I really wanted to do another 7 night, but the costs were just too high especially since more people are potentially coming on the trip.  Ah well, at least I will still be going on another disney cruise.  I had found myself wishing I could squeeze something in sooner, but the virus has changed my mind.  I would go nuts if I were quarantined on a cruise ship for weeks.  Maybe if I had a suite and could spread out some, but that is way out of the budget!



franandaj said:


> We headed to the Skyliner and discovered that being the second stop on the boarding process, can make finding an empty car difficult. Fran got a car right away, but I had to wait until the second HA car came around until I could go. The able bodied folks were just as much out of luck as nearly every car that came over from CBR was already filled.


I'm surprised they don't purposely leave every few cars empty so that Rivera guests have a little better chance of getting on.



franandaj said:


> We finally made it to Epcot. This time at security they had two lines for wheelchairs and strollers open, but they were all filled with able bodied people. Then people with scooters and strollers were going through the regular guests line. Yay for consistency Disney!


I honestly didn't even notice the headings for scooter and regular lines until the last day.  



franandaj said:


> I wasn't super hungry yet so we looked in some more shops (without purchasing anything) and decided to watch the new Canada circlevision. It was very nicely done, and the last part was like Soarin over Canada.


I had every intention of watching the new movie, but somehow it completely slipped my mind and we never got to it.  I guess we were in a food coma!



franandaj said:


> This Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake was the best of the three. However I ended up putting it back together to eat it.


I also tried to reassemble as best as I could without making a mess.  The elegance of it being deconstructed was lost on me! Very delicious though.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> So this COVID-19 thing. I'm not buying into the mass hysteria. I didn't feel the need to wear a mask when I was in Disneyland. I haven't done the TP rope drop at Costco. Thanks for that one @Steppesister! We stocked up in November when Fran ordered me twelve 12 packs of double rolls. Then when they didn't arrive promptly, I asked if she was sure that she placed the order, she ordered eight more! So I was hoarding TP before it became cool.



   

I'm not giving into the panic, either.  Still holding out hope that my summer cruise will be fine.



franandaj said:


> But since Fran was terrified, we took them up on their offer and rescheduled for April 2, 2021. The sad part is that for what we paid for a 7 night cruise in 2020, we could only get a 5 night cruise in 2021. I sure hope that when the new ships come out, the older ships go down in price since their market will be somewhat flooded.



Dang, that stinks.  I can see being a lot more worried if you're in the high-risk group, though.



franandaj said:


> So now at this point we really don't have anything to look forward to except two nights at the Grand for DLs 55th anniversary in July and a cruise next April.







franandaj said:


> We headed to the Skyliner and discovered that being the second stop on the boarding process, can make finding an empty car difficult. Fran got a car right away, but I had to wait until the second HA car came around until I could go. The able bodied folks were just as much out of luck as nearly every car that came over from CBR was already filled.



That sounds annoying.  



franandaj said:


> It was very nicely done, and the last part was like Soarin over Canada.



It's been so long, I don't even remember what the old film was like!



franandaj said:


> This Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake was the best of the three. However I ended up putting it back together to eat it.



I would have done the same thing.  Those ingredients are meant to be together!



franandaj said:


> Michael doesn’t like to have his picture taken, and on another TR I substituted one face on that TR. He didn’t like that one very much, and now it’s not even appropriate anymore, so Fran suggested we use Grumpy Cat for this picture that he photobombed.



 Seems appropriate.



franandaj said:


> I did not like this almond cake at all, and after one bite gave up.



You lost me at the word "almond".



franandaj said:


> Ellen had to go to Universal for the rest of her work trip, rough work!



That poor, poor woman!  How could she cope?


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> How did both you and Captain_O come up with that number?



I don't generally read all the quotes, but I must have caught that one, or it just caught my eye without thinking about it as I was scrolling?



franandaj said:


> As long as you both eat it!



True story there- we have an amazing "everything homemade" Italian which is the best, but so so so garlicky- thankfully everyone is garlicky after! 



franandaj said:


> I haven't done the TP rope drop at Costco.



This is the BEST thing I've ready yet on it all! Literally laughed out loud here at work!!!      


franandaj said:


> We stocked up in November when Fran ordered me twelve 12 packs of double rolls. Then when they didn't arrive promptly, I asked if she was sure that she placed the order, she ordered eight more! So I was hoarding TP before it became cool.



Look at you ahead of the cool kids! I think I remember this!



franandaj said:


> The sad part is that for what we paid for a 7 night cruise in 2020, we could only get a 5 night cruise in 2021. I sure hope that when the new ships come out, the older ships go down in price since their market will be somewhat flooded.



Very sad..I'm hoping this too, I really want to get back on a Disney ship.



franandaj said:


> We can always reassess the situation as it gets closer and if things calm down we could always rebook the tickets.



True that, at least this worked out for you.



franandaj said:


> Maybe if we can get the apartments rented we will take a spur of the moment trip to Vegas!



We've only been back a week and I could def be back there!



franandaj said:


> This time at security they had two lines for wheelchairs and strollers open, but they were all filled with able bodied people.



They are so all over the place with this hey!



franandaj said:


> We got the Deconstructed BLT. This was very good, although I'm not sure why it had a poached egg.



BLT sans L though? Is that the pea shoot/micro green/whatever that garnish is??



franandaj said:


>


Dang that looks like meaty goodness!



franandaj said:


> This Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake was the best of the three. However I ended up putting it back together to eat it.



I could so go for one (or 2) of those right now!



franandaj said:


> Obviously they had met before because she looked at him and said, "You again?" They laughed and ended up chit chatting most of the time we hung out together.



LOL too funny!



franandaj said:


> I did not like this almond cake at all, and after one bite gave up. Fran didn't care for it much either and Michael was the one who ended up finishing it off.



Super pretty, too bad it was so mehh



franandaj said:


> This Pop't Art was just OK and we took half of it back with us.



it looks like a pop tart to me- or is it? I guess I will have to go back to the pics and see...


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I was hoarding TP before it became cool.


 


franandaj said:


> Just today I opened a box shipped to us with nine 20.5 oz bottles of Aloe Vera so that she can make her own hand sanitizer.


Why? Because sanitizer is too expensive now?


franandaj said:


> With all the cruise stuff going on, Disney made an offer to customers that if they would like to reschedule an upcoming cruise to anytime in the next 12 months they would do so at no charge.


Had a similar offer. We were paid in full and are getting 50% refunded and 50% in credit for a cruise in 2020 or 2021.


franandaj said:


> But since Fran was terrified, we took them up on their offer and rescheduled for April 2, 2021. The sad part is that for what we paid for a 7 night cruise in 2020, we could only get a 5 night cruise in 2021.


Ugh. I think we'll be in the same boat.

Um... situation.


franandaj said:


> Also in the last couple weeks we recieved notification from Southwest that our flights to Portland for the Band convention this summer were altered. The non stop flights we had booked had been canceled and rescheduled due to the grounding of the Max 8 jets. We were able to use this to our advantage and cancel the flights altogether. We were already talking about whether it would be a good idea for Fran to be in a room of over a hundred other people blowing hot air, and we were looking for a way to potentially get out of the airfare.


Glad it worked out, but... this virus thing is getting more than annoying.


franandaj said:


> Today I woke up at 6AM


Of _course_ you did.


franandaj said:


> We headed to the Skyliner and discovered that being the second stop on the boarding process, can make finding an empty car difficult.


Oh!


franandaj said:


> The able bodied folks were just as much out of luck as nearly every car that came over from CBR was already filled.


Wow. I hadn't realized. Hmmm... maybe _not_ the best thing since sliced bread?


franandaj said:


> This time at security they had two lines for wheelchairs and strollers open, but they were all filled with able bodied people. Then people with scooters and strollers were going through the regular guests line. Yay for consistency Disney!





franandaj said:


> We perused the shops in the UK and she ended up finding me a funny T-shirt.


Like that. Good skit, too. Saw a similar poster on a friend's wall two days ago.


franandaj said:


> decided to watch the new Canada circlevision. It was very nicely done, and the last part was like Soarin over Canada.


Good to hear! I haven't heard anything about it.


franandaj said:


> We got the Deconstructed BLT.


That would've been my choice.


franandaj said:


> We also got the Deconstructed Reuben. The sauerkraut was made into a kind of patty that was breaded and fried and placed underneath the corned beef.


That sounds interesting. I'm not a fan of Reubens, but I like the way that looks.


franandaj said:


> Fran suggested we use Grumpy Cat for this picture that he photobombed.


That works. 


franandaj said:


> This Pop't Art was just OK


It looks just ok.


franandaj said:


> Ellen had to go to Universal for the rest of her work trip, rough work!


The horror!


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> Don't blame you for not buying in the hysteria! We aren't here either. All the cases in our county are travel related because wealthy retirees like to travel the world. I'm glad we had TP and Paper Towels already. Worst case, I can just use hand towels in place of paper towels.



I just realized this morning that I only have one package of eight rolls of paper towels.  That's enough to last several weeks, but I suppose we need to start looking for it online and see if we can get some delivered.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Hopefully you get the apartments rented out! We're in savings mode as well but my husband is possibly having to move to another state for work and until thats all figured out, time to not spend tons!



Wow!  That's a big move.  I know you moved from GA to FL, but that wasn't all that long ago. To have to move again would be a pain!



Dis_Yoda said:


> Sorry you had to cancel your cruise you had planned! The prices have gotten crazy for what you get.



Yeah, I wonder what is going to happen after all the hysteria dies down!



Dis_Yoda said:


> The dishes look nice at the Festival of the Arts. My mother and I only got a couple of dishes and I think I just drank my lunch that day.



I really wish we had been able to get to more booths this time.


----------



## ajf1007

It’s been a long time since I posted and I’m getting back into the swing of things. I am so excited for this, I love your reports and we just bought Riviera in February so I cant wait to see what you guys thought of it. We’re heading down over Labor Day weekend


----------



## franandaj

SG131 said:


> We are doing a 5 night May 1, 2021. I really wanted to do another 7 night, but the costs were just too high especially since more people are potentially coming on the trip. Ah well, at least I will still be going on another disney cruise. I had found myself wishing I could squeeze something in sooner, but the virus has changed my mind. I would go nuts if I were quarantined on a cruise ship for weeks. Maybe if I had a suite and could spread out some, but that is way out of the budget!



Fran was just worried about coming down with the virus.  However, now they are saying cruises 30 days out will be canceled and they're giving 150% credit towards a future cruise!  We should have held out.  Then again we may not have gotten the cabin that we had on the cruise this year.  We got our same cabin for next year, so I'm good.



SG131 said:


> I'm surprised they don't purposely leave every few cars empty so that Rivera guests have a little better chance of getting on.



I know, you would think!



SG131 said:


> I honestly didn't even notice the headings for scooter and regular lines until the last day.



I don't like to talk to people, so I'm a big sign reader.  I know that sounds funny, but I don't like to talk to strangers.  Unless I've had a few glasses of wine!  



SG131 said:


> I had every intention of watching the new movie, but somehow it completely slipped my mind and we never got to it. I guess we were in a food coma!



I never got to France or China, so something to look forward to!



SG131 said:


> I also tried to reassemble as best as I could without making a mess. The elegance of it being deconstructed was lost on me! Very delicious though.



I just used the cookies as a scoop for the cheesecake stuff and tried to pile the rest of the stuff on top!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> So this COVID-19 thing. I'm not buying into the mass hysteria. I didn't feel the need to wear a mask when I was in Disneyland. I haven't done the TP rope drop at Costco. Thanks for that one @Steppesister! We stocked up in November when Fran ordered me twelve 12 packs of double rolls. Then when they didn't arrive promptly, I asked if she was sure that she placed the order, she ordered eight more! So I was hoarding TP before it became cool.


It was hysterical... and yet... not. At all. 

1) Do these idiots even realize that this is a RESPIRATORY virus?!?! Keeping your butt clean isn't going to prevent you from getting it or passing it along. 

2) Do they realize that everyone else might need a week's worth of tp too? That just maybe if we run out because they've hoarded can lead to an E. Coli epidemic? 

What is WRONG with people? Other than being stupid and selfish. 



franandaj said:


> With all the cruise stuff going on, Disney made an offer to customers that if they would like to reschedule an upcoming cruise to anytime in the next 12 months they would do so at no charge. I



That's good at least. I hope if it comes to that for mine in Sept. we can do the same. 



franandaj said:


> Also in the last couple weeks we recieved notification from Southwest that our flights to Portland for the Band convention this summer were altered.



Aw, rats!! I was looking forward to seeing  you!!



franandaj said:


> We can always reassess the situation as it gets closer and if things calm down we could always rebook the tickets. We may even have Companion status by then! We didn't cancel the hotel or conference, just the airfare.



Please keep me in the loop! I want to be available if I'm in town!



franandaj said:


> I felt alive and really good.



YAY!!! A good day!



franandaj said:


> and decided to watch the new Canada circlevision. It was very nicely done, and the last part was like Soarin over Canada.



Oh, I can't wait to see this!! 



franandaj said:


> We got the Deconstructed BLT. This was very good, although I'm not sure why it had a poached egg.



So, how on Earth is that a BLT? No lettuce? No tomato? Weird. 




franandaj said:


> I did not like this almond cake at all, and after one bite gave up. Fran didn't care for it much either and Michael was the one who ended up finishing it off.


But it looks pretty. 

And the Reuben? That looked and sounded GOOD!


----------



## cruisehopeful

franandaj said:


> We stocked up in November when Fran ordered me twelve 12 packs of double rolls. Then when they didn't arrive promptly, I asked if she was sure that she placed the order, she ordered eight more! So I was hoarding TP before it became cool.


  Ahead of the trend indeed! When the hoarding started, I wasn't worried at all. I get my toilet paper every other month from Amazon Subscribe and Save. Now, I have a message from them that they are out of stock and trying to find some to send me. All the stores in my area were out last week when I was trying to get some. I still have 3 rolls and I buy the jumbo rolls, so I should be okay assuming stores will eventually restock. 


franandaj said:


> So now at this point we really don't have anything to look forward to except two nights at the Grand for DLs 55th anniversary in July


Maybe I'll see you there. I had to cancel my March stay (parks closed the day I was slated to arrive) and I waited for DCL to cancel my April cruise, knowing I'd be getting a full refund instead of a cruise credit if I waited for them to cancel it. I was going to go to DL for Easter, but I doubt it will be a "safe" time to go, based on the current info about the virus. My next big plan is to go in July.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm not giving into the panic, either. Still holding out hope that my summer cruise will be fine.



What port do you sail from? And have you heard any further updates?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Dang, that stinks. I can see being a lot more worried if you're in the high-risk group, though.



And since I posted that, EVERYTHING has changed.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That sounds annoying.



Yes it was. You would think that they might leave every one or two cars open so that folks at the high falutin resort could get on! I mean we are paying top dollar!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> It's been so long, I don't even remember what the old film was like



I just remember Martin Short....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I would have done the same thing. Those ingredients are meant to be together!



Why they had to deconstruct them seems silly!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Seems appropriate.



Yes he can be rather grumpy.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You lost me at the word "almond".



I don't mind Macarons, but this cake was not so tasty.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That poor, poor woman! How could she cope?



I know. It must be an awful life as a TA!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> I don't generally read all the quotes, but I must have caught that one, or it just caught my eye without thinking about it as I was scrolling?



That makes sense....it was kind of weird that you both arrived at that number.



DnA2010 said:


> True story there- we have an amazing "everything homemade" Italian which is the best, but so so so garlicky- thankfully everyone is garlicky after!



How I would love to go "out" to dinner right now.  I mean my life is not that much different.  I still made dinner every night, but the fact that we can't go out makes me want to even more!



DnA2010 said:


> This is the BEST thing I've ready yet on it all! Literally laughed out loud here at work!!!



Still got plenty....haven't even finished the last bag that I opened yet, and I've got like eight more in the hall pantry.



DnA2010 said:


> Look at you ahead of the cool kids! I think I remember this!



Yeah, it would have been right about the time that you were visiting.



DnA2010 said:


> Very sad..I'm hoping this too, I really want to get back on a Disney ship.



Who knows when ANYONE (besides crew) will be back on one after the Wonder docks this Saturday.



DnA2010 said:


> True that, at least this worked out for you.



Yeah.  ((((((Sigh))))))



DnA2010 said:


> We've only been back a week and I could def be back there!







DnA2010 said:


> They are so all over the place with this hey!



It was annyoning.



DnA2010 said:


> BLT sans L though? Is that the pea shoot/micro green/whatever that garnish is??



That's probably what they were going for.



DnA2010 said:


> Dang that looks like meaty goodness!



It was!  I'm putting Corned Beef on my rotation, I've got dinners planned all the way to April 6th now.  Can you say get a life?



DnA2010 said:


> I could so go for one (or 2) of those right now!



I've got my vat of spaghetti sauce on the stove right now, I think I need to make something desserty.  I'm making whole chicken for dinner tonight.



DnA2010 said:


> LOL too funny!







DnA2010 said:


> Super pretty, too bad it was so mehh



I know!  I wanted to try it cause it was so pretty, but pretty food doesn't always taste so good.



DnA2010 said:


> it looks like a pop tart to me- or is it? I guess I will have to go back to the pics and see...



They called it a Popt Art, I think....It was pretty much a $5 pop tart.     That reminds me, I think I have some Pop Tarts in the pantry.  No need to bake!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Why? Because sanitizer is too expensive now?



Because there is none in the stores....are people in Canada hoarding?



pkondz said:


> Had a similar offer. We were paid in full and are getting 50% refunded and 50% in credit for a cruise in 2020 or 2021.



I hope that this all works out....



pkondz said:


> Ugh. I think we'll be in the same boat.
> 
> Um... situation.



Good one!



pkondz said:


> Glad it worked out, but... this virus thing is getting more than annoying.



So do you have to stay home in Manitoba?



pkondz said:


> Of _course_ you did.







pkondz said:


> Oh!
> Wow. I hadn't realized. Hmmm... maybe _not_ the best thing since sliced bread?



Just wait for the next update.



pkondz said:


> Like that. Good skit, too. Saw a similar poster on a friend's wall two days ago.



I debated between that one and "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"



pkondz said:


> Good to hear! I haven't heard anything about it.



And probably won't for a while.



pkondz said:


> That would've been my choice.



We usually get one of everything!  



pkondz said:


> That sounds interesting. I'm not a fan of Reubens, but I like the way that looks.



A Reuben is my favorite sandwich if I'm in a regular deli type place.



pkondz said:


> That works.







pkondz said:


> It looks just ok.



It was just ok.


----------



## franandaj

ajf1007 said:


> It’s been a long time since I posted and I’m getting back into the swing of things. I am so excited for this, I love your reports and we just bought Riviera in February so I cant wait to see what you guys thought of it. We’re heading down over Labor Day weekend





It has been a long time since you popped in on one of my TRs!  I think I was still living in the old house, the last time we spoke.  I remember you going through some difficult times.  Sounds like things have improved since then!

Fingers crossed that your trip goes off without a hitch!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Because there is none in the stores....are people in Canada hoarding?


Yeah... they are.
I'm not quite sure why you need a double lifetime supply of it, but... there ya go.


franandaj said:


> I hope that this all works out....


Yeah...


franandaj said:


> So do you have to stay home in Manitoba?


Not exactly...

They're discouraging groups. A lot of restaurants are only doing take out or delivery, no dine-in. A lot of businesses are closed or only doing phone/online work.
I have to go out to work... and for groceries. Not much else.


franandaj said:


> Just wait for the next update.





franandaj said:


> I debated between that one and "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"


I love the ending to that skit!


franandaj said:


> A Reuben is my favorite sandwich if I'm in a regular deli type place.


Mine is corned beef on rye... unless I'm in Montreal, of course.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> It was hysterical... and yet... not. At all.
> 
> 1) Do these idiots even realize that this is a RESPIRATORY virus?!?! Keeping your butt clean isn't going to prevent you from getting it or passing it along.
> 
> 2) Do they realize that everyone else might need a week's worth of tp too? That just maybe if we run out because they've hoarded can lead to an E. Coli epidemic?
> 
> What is WRONG with people? Other than being stupid and selfish.



The sad thing is that I don't think that they even care.



Steppesister said:


> That's good at least. I hope if it comes to that for mine in Sept. we can do the same.



So many uncertain times.....



Steppesister said:


> Aw, rats!! I was looking forward to seeing you!!



And we will see what happens, you never know where we will be in July.



Steppesister said:


> Please keep me in the loop! I want to be available if I'm in town!



The concert will be July 25th if we do go there.



Steppesister said:


> YAY!!! A good day!



I was starting to get worried!



Steppesister said:


> Oh, I can't wait to see this!!



I would love to have plans to see it too!  



Steppesister said:


> So, how on Earth is that a BLT? No lettuce? No tomato? Weird.



Yeah, I wasn't sure either, but it was good!



Steppesister said:


> But it looks pretty.
> 
> And the Reuben? That looked and sounded GOOD!



The Reuben was good, the other....just pretty.


----------



## franandaj

cruisehopeful said:


> Ahead of the trend indeed! When the hoarding started, I wasn't worried at all. I get my toilet paper every other month from Amazon Subscribe and Save. Now, I have a message from them that they are out of stock and trying to find some to send me. All the stores in my area were out last week when I was trying to get some. I still have 3 rolls and I buy the jumbo rolls, so I should be okay assuming stores will eventually restock.



Well I hope that you get some more!  I showed the vacant apartment yesterday and the gal had gone to the supermarket at 5:30AM, was the first in line and was able to get some toilet paper, so there is hope.  I haven't been to the grocery store for two days now, so I don't know how it is.  I'm good for a while except I should get a half gallon of milk sometime tomorrow.



cruisehopeful said:


> Maybe I'll see you there. I had to cancel my March stay (parks closed the day I was slated to arrive) and I waited for DCL to cancel my April cruise, knowing I'd be getting a full refund instead of a cruise credit if I waited for them to cancel it. I was going to go to DL for Easter, but I doubt it will be a "safe" time to go, based on the current info about the virus. My next big plan is to go in July.



We were there the last weekend that both the hotels and parks were open so I feel like we just snuck in there.  I really hope that they can open for the 55th, that's when we have our next reservation.  If not, I guess they will put my points back in the 2021 UY.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Yeah... they are.
> I'm not quite sure why you need a double lifetime supply of it, but... there ya go.



We ended up buying a couple small bottles before it was all gone, and then I just realized that Fran has a 32oz bottle on her bathroom sink area, and it's still half full!  Plus there are bottles all over the house.  I don't use the stuff.  I'd rather wash my hands, it's all sticky.



pkondz said:


> Yeah...



 



pkondz said:


> Not exactly...
> 
> They're discouraging groups. A lot of restaurants are only doing take out or delivery, no dine-in. A lot of businesses are closed or only doing phone/online work.
> I have to go out to work... and for groceries. Not much else.



That's pretty much what's going on here, unless the upcoming news report has something new....



pkondz said:


> I love the ending to that skit!



Classic Python!



pkondz said:


> Mine is corned beef on rye... unless I'm in Montreal, of course.



Why Montreal?


----------



## franandaj

It feels really weird posting chapters of a TR when we are all stuck at home with no idea when we will get back to our Happy Place!  I hope everyone is staying safe and are only inconvenienced by this current situation.  Wishing safe times to everyone’s friends and families. Keep checking in, and let me know you’re safe!


So after riding Nemo, Michael and I headed over to Spaceship Earth.  We went to the scooter/wheelchair entrance and they didn't even bother to scan our MBs, they just let us on. While we were waiting to board I got a text from a tenant that her heater wasn't working. I texted her back about how the radiant heat ceiling coils are supposed to work and what she should do to heat the apartment. We got on the ride with very little wait.

















@pkondz is this your Dad?





































See I noticed the other dude in the computer room…..





Michael and I answered every other question, so we got a little bit different future than Fran and I get, but actually not a lot. He and Fran and are lot alike.









But this was the first time I saw our pictures on the globe and we went home to Germany!





Little did I know that Fran had been texting me for about 20 minutes. We decided to see the new movie at The Land. She had sent me these texts.





But when I noticed the texts. This is what I saw.





I asked if she wanted to come join us not realizing all the other messages she had sent. I thought she just decided not to go back to the room. I missed the part about the Skyliner being closed.  So it wasn’t until after we watched the movie at the Land that I realized that the Skyliner had gone down.  I finally called her and I told her I would get back to her on what we should do.

It was just after 4PM. We had a 6PM reservation at Beaches & Cream. Michael had only eaten that little piece of chicken and the rest of our cake. He had been saying all afternoon that he needed some more food. I suggested that we just go over to B&C and see if they could take us early as a party of three. It was 4:39 when we reached the podium. I explained the situation, blamed the Skyliner and asked if they could accommodate a third person. The host said that they were very full with reservations, but to come back at 5PM, and see what she could do then. 

We chatted, used the restroom and generally killed time until 5, when I went up and asked again. This time there was a lead, he said they were indeed full, and could possibly squeeze us in in 20-30 minutes. He could see I was disappointed and asked if I minded sitting at the counter. One of the other hostesses took me in the door and pointed out the counter. I asked if they were all high seats and she said she had three low ones. Fran said that she could sit at any, so he checked me in and said I would get a text when the table was ready.

I parked my scooter and Fran parked hers near mine and began to read her tablet. As soon as I sat at the waiting table with Michael, my phone chirped and I had the text that our table was ready. It was the counter but we were OK with that. We had the low counter that sat three. I sat in the middle and it was just fine. 





Here’s a look back out at the newly remodeled restaurant.













Here’s the new menu as well.

















Fran really didn't want to eat, but decided that the S'mores milkshake would be fine for her dinner.





I went with the chicken noodle soup. And Michael gave me a quarter of his Turkey Sandwich.  That was the perfect amount of dinner for me and I could still have dessert.





I got the Strawberry Shortcake and it was absolutely delicious! Fran finished half of it for me and she really loved it. Said the shortbread was just like her mother's that we lost the recipe.





After we paid the check we went back to the Skyliner just to verify that the information Fran had been given several hours ago was still valid. No it was not running. We needed to go to the Boardwalk to catch a bus which would cover all the Skyliner resorts to get back to the Riviera. 

We arrived at the bus stop at 7:05PM but there were three scooters ahead of us and only two busses. We didn't want to split up so we waited since the busses can only take two scooters. All the other passengers (able bodied) were able to get on the first two buses so we were the only ones left going to the Skyliner resorts. The next bus didn't come until 7:20. The driver took one look at Fran and I and left. What The…...? Then the bus driver behind him with an Epcot sign changed his sign to Skyliner Resort and took us on his bus. It seems like they've had to do this a lot before.  We got to our room at 7:54. But on our way up we reserved a Mears van with accessible lift to pick us up at 6:15AM so we could be at DHS in plenty of time to get a Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance.

We found this little guy in our room when we returned.





I decided it was now or never that I make sure our apps were up to date and we didn't have any extra tickets on our app that would need to be deleted the next day, and that both Fran and I were scanned into each other's apps. To my horror I had eleven tickets scanned into my app and some were duplicates. I found the number for the tech help and spent nearly an hour on the phone with them getting both our apps cleaned up. The gal on the phone was very helpful and got us all taken care of. While we were on the phone I set up the coffee machine so that all I had to do in the morning was hit "brew". I took a bath and hit the sack. Tomorrow was going to be an early one!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We ended up buying a couple small bottles before it was all gone, and then I just realized that Fran has a 32oz bottle on her bathroom sink area, and it's still half full! Plus there are bottles all over the house. I don't use the stuff. I'd rather wash my hands, it's all sticky.


And... hand washing is more effective than hand sanitizer, so..


franandaj said:


> Classic Python!





franandaj said:


> Why Montreal?


Because there I'll have Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich instead.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> It feels really weird posting chapters of a TR when we are all stuck at home with no idea when we will get back to our Happy Place!


I get that.

and yet...
I kinda wish I wasn't finished mine. 
I'd like to keep posting to keep giving people things to read.

Thanks for posting, Alison. 


franandaj said:


> I hope everyone is staying safe and are only inconvenienced by this current situation.


Doing my best.


franandaj said:


> I texted her back about how the radiant heat ceiling coils are supposed to work


I'm sorry... what?


franandaj said:


> @pkondz is this your Dad?


Yes it is!

Honest story.
I was reading this update and when I saw photos of SE, I quickly scrolled down to see if you'd gotten a shot of my dad.
As soon as I saw it, I said "Dad!"

And _then_ I glanced up and saw your question. 


franandaj said:


> See I noticed the other dude in the computer room…..


You and I are the only ones! 


franandaj said:


> But this was the first time I saw our pictures on the globe and we went home to Germany!


You've seen them on the globe before, haven't you?


franandaj said:


> She had sent me these texts.


oh dear.


franandaj said:


> It was 4:39 when we reached the podium. I explained the situation, blamed the Skyliner and asked if they could accommodate a third person.


 
Skyliner's fault... ahem...


franandaj said:


> He could see I was disappointed and asked if I minded sitting at the counter.


I love sitting at the counter. I like watching them make the food.


franandaj said:


> Here’s a look back out at the newly remodeled restaurant.


Much bigger... and much, _much_, _*much*_ less charming.


franandaj said:


> Here’s the new menu as well.


They still have grilled cheese and tomato soup and the No Way Jose... So that's good.


franandaj said:


> Fran really didn't want to eat, but decided that the S'mores milkshake would be fine for her dinner.


Fran is smart.


franandaj said:


> I went with the chicken noodle soup. And Michael gave me a quarter of his Turkey Sandwich.


How were they?


franandaj said:


> Said the shortbread was just like her mother's that we lost the recipe.


 


franandaj said:


> We arrived at the bus stop at 7:05PM but there were three scooters ahead of us and only two busses.


Uh, oh...


franandaj said:


> The driver took one look at Fran and I and left. What The…...?


 


franandaj said:


> Then the bus driver behind him with an Epcot sign changed his sign to Skyliner Resort and took us on his bus. It seems like they've had to do this a lot before.


Ah. Still... you must've been worried, there.


franandaj said:


>


Baby Yoda!


franandaj said:


> To my horror I had eleven tickets scanned into my app and some were duplicates. I found the number for the tech help and spent nearly an hour on the phone with them getting both our apps cleaned up.


Eep!


----------



## SG131

franandaj said:


> It feels really weird posting chapters of a TR when we are all stuck at home with no idea when we will get back to our Happy Place!


We have a trip planned for August, and I'm really hoping things are someone back to normal by then.  I've already got a case of cabin fever.  Hopefully, in a few weeks it will warm up and more time can be spent outside.  Right now its cold and rainy.



franandaj said:


> So after riding Nemo, Michael and I headed over to Spaceship Earth.  We went to the scooter/wheelchair entrance and they didn't even bother to scan our MBs, they just let us on. While we were waiting to board I got a text from a tenant that her heater wasn't working. I texted her back about how the radiant heat ceiling coils are supposed to work and what she should do to heat the apartment. We got on the ride with very little wait.


The first time we went on with the scooter they took us right back and showed us the entrance.  The second time we went right to the entrance, but apparently since it was a longer wait out front we were supposed to get a return time.  I'm still a little confused on what the rules are.  Though I guess it won't matter for quite awhile.  It's good the heating problem was easily solved.



franandaj said:


>


And there is my mom to the left of the column with the blondish gray hair.  She's actually even looking toward the camera!  I'm hidden behind someone.


----------



## rentayenta

Miss Spaceship Earth, that's the only thing I wish we would have had a chance to ride during our last trip! 

We are safe and good. New normal is not affecting me a ton but it is the kids.


----------



## ajf1007

franandaj said:


> It has been a long time since you popped in on one of my TRs!  I think I was still living in the old house, the last time we spoke.  I remember you going through some difficult times.  Sounds like things have improved since then!
> 
> Fingers crossed that your trip goes off without a hitch!


It has been a long time! Wow, I can’t believe you remember me ! I did go through a messy divorce and have since remarried and moved on. One of the hardest things I did was have to sell my contracts at AKV but we do what we have to when necessary. Fast forward 4 years and I’ve since remarried a man who I believe to be my soul mate and we just bought 250 points at Riviera! Life is good!

I have been catching up on your last TRs, they always made me smile and chuckle too!  How is the new house and life in general? I hope you guys are ok with this Coronavirus and staying well.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> The sad thing is that I don't think that they even care.



Sadly, you are right. 



franandaj said:


> And we will see what happens, you never know where we will be in July.



No one does, I think.



franandaj said:


> The concert will be July 25th if we do go there.



GREAT! I will block off that date and if tickets go on sale, let me know.



franandaj said:


> It feels really weird posting chapters of a TR when we are all stuck at home with no idea when we will get back to our Happy Place!



It is, and yet, it's the perfect time to do so. What  else we gonna do? 



franandaj said:


> Keep checking in, and let me know you’re safe!



I will.... might have loads of time to do that, and it might be from my new home the car, but I'll check in.  



franandaj said:


> While we were waiting to board I got a text from a tenant that her heater wasn't working. I texted her back



OY, landlord issues never go away even on vacay. 



franandaj said:


> I asked if she wanted to come join us not realizing all the other messages she had sent. I thought she just decided not to go back to the room. I missed the part about the Skyliner being closed. So it wasn’t until after we watched the movie at the Land that I realized that the Skyliner had gone down. I finally called her and I told her I would get back to her on what we should do.



Ruh roh.... !! 


franandaj said:


> One of the other hostesses took me in the door and pointed out the counter. I asked if they were all high seats and she said she had three low ones. Fran said that she could sit at any, so he checked me in and said I would get a text when the table was ready.



I'm so glad they have stools for folks who can't use the high ones to sit at!! Glad they could get you in and accomodate.



franandaj said:


> The driver took one look at Fran and I and left. What The…...?



What the....?



franandaj said:


> We got to our room at 7:54. But on our way up we reserved a Mears van with accessible lift to pick us up at 6:15AM so we could be at DHS in plenty of time to get a Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance.



Good move!! You're thinking ahead and that's gonna pay off!



franandaj said:


> I found the number for the tech help and spent nearly an hour on the phone with them getting both our apps cleaned up.



YIKES!! An hour? Not what you wanna be doing on vacation, but glad you did so you didn't have issues in the morning when they'd have been disastrous!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> It feels really weird posting chapters of a TR when we are all stuck at home with no idea when we will get back to our Happy Place! I hope everyone is staying safe and are only inconvenienced by this current situation. Wishing safe times to everyone’s friends and families. Keep checking in, and let me know you’re safe!



This is such a weird time.  Read the news, and it's the apocalypse.  Walk outside, and it seems perfectly normal.  I think everyone is starting to go a bit stir-crazy.



franandaj said:


> See I noticed the other dude in the computer room…..



There's another dude in there?   



franandaj said:


> Michael and I answered every other question, so we got a little bit different future than Fran and I get, but actually not a lot. He and Fran and are lot alike.



You posted his photo!  You rebel.



franandaj said:


> This time there was a lead, he said they were indeed full, and could possibly squeeze us in in 20-30 minutes. He could see I was disappointed and asked if I minded sitting at the counter. One of the other hostesses took me in the door and pointed out the counter. I asked if they were all high seats and she said she had three low ones. Fran said that she could sit at any, so he checked me in and said I would get a text when the table was ready.



Nice that they were trying to be flexible for you.



franandaj said:


> Here’s a look back out at the newly remodeled restaurant.



Did they make it bigger?  Looks like they can fit more people in there.



franandaj said:


> Fran really didn't want to eat, but decided that the S'mores milkshake would be fine for her dinner.



Now we're talking.



franandaj said:


> The next bus didn't come until 7:20. The driver took one look at Fran and I and left. What The…...?



Um...that's not cool.



franandaj said:


> I decided it was now or never that I make sure our apps were up to date and we didn't have any extra tickets on our app that would need to be deleted the next day, and that both Fran and I were scanned into each other's apps. To my horror I had eleven tickets scanned into my app and some were duplicates.



So how does that happen?


----------



## pkondz

Captain_Oblivious said:


> I think everyone is starting to go a bit stir-crazy.


Starting???


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> How I would love to go "out" to dinner right now. I mean my life is not that much different. I still made dinner every night, but the fact that we can't go out makes me want to even more!


Ya, I would too, I found out that our favourite restaurant is doing curb side pick up, so pondering that, but we live a good 20 min away, so I wonder if it would still be good by the time we got it home



franandaj said:


> I know! I wanted to try it cause it was so pretty, but pretty food doesn't always taste so good.



So disappointing!



franandaj said:


> They called it a Popt Art, I think....It was pretty much a $5 pop tart.  That reminds me, I think I have some Pop Tarts in the pantry. No need to bake!



We got the chocolate ones when they were on sale as teenagers



franandaj said:


> So after riding Nemo, Michael and I headed over to Spaceship Earth.



I still remember going to Epcot and being like "wow there is a ride in there!"



franandaj said:


> Here’s the new menu as well.



So much delicious comfort food!



franandaj said:


>



Mmm I love rainbow sherbet, so I think I'd love that Frozen sunshine



franandaj said:


>



I have yet to have a fancy, crazy shake, I don't think anywhere around here does them, someday



franandaj said:


> Fran really didn't want to eat, but decided that the S'mores milkshake would be fine for her dinner.



S'mores is back! 
We actually tried to do s'mores last night over one of those propane fire pits..managed to do the marshmallows ok, however the graham crackers were old and stale so ended up tossing those.



franandaj said:


> I got the Strawberry Shortcake and it was absolutely delicious! Fran finished half of it for me and she really loved it. Said the shortbread was just like her mother's that we lost the recipe.



Short bread base, or cake.

I'd be interested in the recipe if you ever find it



franandaj said:


> The driver took one look at Fran and I and left. What The…...? Then the bus driver behind him with an Epcot sign changed his sign to Skyliner Resort and took us on his bus.



That would be a bit errr, confusing



franandaj said:


> To my horror I had eleven tickets scanned into my app and some were duplicates.




Good thing you checked and sorted it!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> And... hand washing is more effective than hand sanitizer, so..



My hands are getting chaffed from so much washing.  



pkondz said:


> Because there I'll have Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich instead.



That looks great but I'm not sure I could eat that. It would be more than four meals for me!



pkondz said:


> I get that.
> 
> and yet...
> I kinda wish I wasn't finished mine.
> I'd like to keep posting to keep giving people things to read.
> 
> Thanks for posting, Alison.



I bet you could write a very entertaining update of life in quarantine at the pkondz home.



pkondz said:


> Doing my best.



Hang in there! Oddly enough, our lives have not changed all that much! I'm waiting for the abject boredom to kick in. I'm still busy every day just trying to keep up with our normal daily routine. Although I do have to say that I am keeping up very well on the dishes. The one big difference is that since we aren't running around, we don't have as many supplemental fast food meals, so more dishes to do. 



pkondz said:


> I'm sorry... what?



When you say "what?" Are you referring to the tenant not knowing how to use the heater or asking "what is radiant ceiling heat?"



pkondz said:


> Yes it is!
> 
> Honest story.
> I was reading this update and when I saw photos of SE, I quickly scrolled down to see if you'd gotten a shot of my dad.
> As soon as I saw it, I said "Dad!"
> 
> And _then_ I glanced up and saw your question.



I took that picture just for you! 



pkondz said:


> You and I are the only ones!



I actually noticed him before anyone else. And that woman is not at all realistic. No woman computer programmer would ever dress that hip. Trust me, my parents were them in that era.



pkondz said:


> You've seen them on the globe before, haven't you?



Either we don't get out there fast enough, or the pictures aren't good enough to show up on the globe.



pkondz said:


> Skyliner's fault... ahem...



Gotta shift the blame somehow....



pkondz said:


> I love sitting at the counter. I like watching them make the food.



The kitchen is in the back now. We couldn't see much. Maybe they were stopping the sundaes over near us.



pkondz said:


> Much bigger... and much, _much_, _*much*_ less charming.



That was my take too.



pkondz said:


> They still have grilled cheese and tomato soup and the No Way Jose... So that's good



I almost got the tomato soup and grilled cheese, but I remembered how big it was when Fran and I got it last time.



pkondz said:


> Fran is smart.



 



pkondz said:


> How were they?



All was very good, but I had to pick out the carrots. I don't like them cooked.



pkondz said:


> Ah. Still... you must've been worried, there.



More annoyed than worried.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> My hands are getting chaffed from so much washing.


I hear that!


franandaj said:


> That looks great but I'm not sure I could eat that. It would be more than four meals for me!


 It is quite a bit. 


franandaj said:


> I bet you could write a very entertaining update of life in quarantine at the pkondz home.


You think? I dunno. I'm not actually quarantined anyway. I'm essential services so I still go to work.


franandaj said:


> Hang in there! Oddly enough, our lives have not changed all that much! I'm waiting for the abject boredom to kick in. I'm still busy every day just trying to keep up with our normal daily routine.


My life doesn't feel overly different right now either. Well... at work, it does. But not so much at home.


franandaj said:


> Although I do have to say that I am keeping up very well on the dishes.


Oh, no! The humanity!


franandaj said:


> The one big difference is that since we aren't running around, we don't have as many supplemental fast food meals, so more dishes to do.


Not ordering delivery?


franandaj said:


> When you say "what?" Are you referring to the tenant not knowing how to use the heater or asking "what is radiant ceiling heat?"


The latter.


franandaj said:


> I took that picture just for you!


I thought you had!  


franandaj said:


> I actually noticed him before anyone else.


I'd mentioned him on... either my own or someone else's TR a few months ago.


franandaj said:


> And that woman is not at all realistic. No woman computer programmer would ever dress that hip. Trust me, my parents were them in that era.





franandaj said:


> Either we don't get out there fast enough, or the pictures aren't good enough to show up on the globe.


Huh. So it _was_ a first! In all ways!


franandaj said:


> Gotta shift the blame somehow....





franandaj said:


> The kitchen is in the back now. We couldn't see much. Maybe they were stopping the sundaes over near us.


That's a shame. 


franandaj said:


> All was very good, but I had to pick out the carrots. I don't like them cooked.


Good to hear.


----------



## franandaj

SG131 said:


> We have a trip planned for August, and I'm really hoping things are someone back to normal by then. I've already got a case of cabin fever. Hopefully, in a few weeks it will warm up and more time can be spent outside. Right now its cold and rainy.



I dont think we are ever going _back_ to normal.  We will see a return to something of what we remember, but I think we have a period in history where BC takes on a new meaning. Just like we have "Pre 9-11".



SG131 said:


> The first time we went on with the scooter they took us right back and showed us the entrance. The second time we went right to the entrance, but apparently since it was a longer wait out front we were supposed to get a return time. I'm still a little confused on what the rules are. Though I guess it won't matter for quite awhile.



Yeah, consistency is not necessarily their strong point.



SG131 said:


> It's good the heating problem was easily solved.



Well....there is more to come.



SG131 said:


> And there is my mom to the left of the column with the blondish gray hair. She's actually even looking toward the camera! I'm hidden behind someone.



Wow! That's so funny that I happened to catch her in my random photo!


----------



## jedijill

Caught back up again.  I needed a dose of Disney with the news about the parks being closed until further notice and waiting for DCL to cancel my cruise.  

Jill in CO


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Miss Spaceship Earth, that's the only thing I wish we would have had a chance to ride during our last trip!



The one I missed was Misson Space.  I can't wait for things to ease up and Disney can safely open.  I don't think we'll ever go "back". As I said to someone else, this is a pivotal event, everything before will be "pre-Corona".



rentayenta said:


> We are safe and good. New normal is not affecting me a ton but it is the kids.



We are safe. Lots of sleeping involved. 



ajf1007 said:


> It has been a long time! Wow, I can’t believe you remember me ! I did go through a messy divorce and have since remarried and moved on.



I remembered the divorce part but wasn't sure, so I didn't want to say anything. We used to chit chat a bit when I lived at the old house.



ajf1007 said:


> One of the hardest things I did was have to sell my contracts at AKV but we do what we have to when necessary. Fast forward 4 years and I’ve since remarried a man who I believe to be my soul mate and we just bought 250 points at Riviera! Life is good!



I bet that was tough! But I'm glad that you are happy now!



ajf1007 said:


> I have been catching up on your last TRs, they always made me smile and chuckle too! How is the new house and life in general? I hope you guys are ok with this Coronavirus and staying well.



We are generally good. Right now our big focus is to get rid of our stuff on eBay. Our house is full of boxes from storage all with precious items that we are trying to unload.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> No one does, I think



It's so weird, all the uncertainty. The only thing I can plan is what's for dinner.  



Steppesister said:


> GREAT! I will block off that date and if tickets go on sale, let me know.



And its canceled.



Steppesister said:


> It is, and yet, it's the perfect time to do so. What else we gonna do?



Well I have a ton of things I'm doing, still I find it hard to get online other than from my phone in the mornings. 



Steppesister said:


> I will.... might have loads of time to do that, and it might be from my new home the car, but I'll check in.



And hopefully that's not the case for now....



Steppesister said:


> OY, landlord issues never go away even on vacay.



Nope, and that's not the end of it.



Steppesister said:


> I'm so glad they have stools for folks who can't use the high ones to sit at!! Glad they could get you in and accomodate.



It worked out perfectly!



Steppesister said:


> Good move!! You're thinking ahead and that's gonna pay off!



Thinking ahead! That's my superpower!



Steppesister said:


> YIKES!! An hour? Not what you wanna be doing on vacation, but glad you did so you didn't have issues in the morning when they'd have been disastrous



Turns out the subtle differences from East and West coast it wouldn't have made a ton of difference, but I'll get to that in my next update.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> This is such a weird time. Read the news, and it's the apocalypse. Walk outside, and it seems perfectly normal. I think everyone is starting to go a bit stir-crazy.



I realize that most people aren't used to spending a lot of time at home but for me this is not so different than normal life. Sure there's a lot of restrictions and such but generally Fran and I don't leave the house very much or for long periods of time except on vacations. .



Captain_Oblivious said:


> There's another dude in there?



I never realized that no one else noticed him until Liesa posted it on her TR!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You posted his photo! You rebel.



I figured his face was obscured enough and small enough, no one would recognize him!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Nice that they were trying to be flexible for you



It was nice of them.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Did they make it bigger? Looks like they can fit more people in there.



It's like 5 times bigger if not more.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Now we're talking



Everyone seems to like that choice for dinner.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Um...that's not cool.



No, I had no idea what the problem was.....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> So how does that happen?



Well, I've been visiting every year since 2013 when they started the MBs.  Since then my trips have involved meeting up with other DISers or friends and family.  Imagine that you added your whole family (mom & dad, brother's family, etc) to make FPs and reservations on the last trip, then the next year you went and your trip overlapped with Pkondz on a solo trip, as well as 3 or 4 other DIS Dads, so you add them to your group.  Then Doc meets you out there and he and his wife become part of your F&F.  It was a combination of six years of joint planning and I just ended up with a ton of friends on there, some of which I may travel with again, some I may not.  Those are the ones that were gone.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Starting???



And then some of us have already been crazy for forever....


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Ya, I would too, I found out that our favourite restaurant is doing curb side pick up, so pondering that, but we live a good 20 min away, so I wonder if it would still be good by the time we got it home



You would probably have to pick up something that could be reheated. We're going to try ordering a fried chicken dinner from one of our favorite places tomorrow night so we'll pick it up and come right home to eat it so it's good and hot.



DnA2010 said:


> So disappointing!



Food doesn't have to be pretty to taste good and not all food that is pretty tastes good.



DnA2010 said:


> We got the chocolate ones when they were on sale as teenagers



Chocolate is good, but cinnamon is my favorite!



DnA2010 said:


> I still remember going to Epcot and being like "wow there is a ride in there!"



I remember thinking that "how can they have that and there isn't a ride in there?"



DnA2010 said:


> So much delicious comfort food!



Yes very simple stuff.



DnA2010 said:


> Mmm I love rainbow sherbet, so I think I'd love that Frozen sunshine



I'm more of a float person but I can only have one ice cream thing per meal cause it makes me need to go to sleep.



DnA2010 said:


> I have yet to have a fancy, crazy shake, I don't think anywhere around here does them, someday



I've had two as far as I know and both were at the same place....



DnA2010 said:


> S'mores is back!
> We actually tried to do s'mores last night over one of those propane fire pits..managed to do the marshmallows ok, however the graham crackers were old and stale so ended up tossing those.



That's too bad, S'mores are so good!  I need to think of a way to make s'mores here without having to go outside.



DnA2010 said:


> Short bread base, or cake.
> 
> I'd be interested in the recipe if you ever find it



I looked.  I couldn't find it.



DnA2010 said:


> That would be a bit errr, confusing



It was not so fun.



DnA2010 said:


> Good thing you checked and sorted it!



Yes, I'm glad I did, but it didn't matter as much as I thought it would.


----------



## rndmr2

franandaj said:


> That's too bad, S'mores are so good! I need to think of a way to make s'mores here without having to go outside.


 The microwave, it isn't quite the same but does the job if you have a craving.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> And then some of us have already been crazy for forever....


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> It's so weird, all the uncertainty. The only thing I can plan is what's for dinner.



That's about right. I am keeping busy enough, but am having to adjust my sleep hours and things are all wonky there. Hopefully, that's behind me now, but that also means not enough hours now  too. 



franandaj said:


> And its canceled.



 


franandaj said:


> Well I have a ton of things I'm doing, still I find it hard to get online other than from my phone in the mornings.



I think these days it's good to be busy and find things to do. A bored society is a terrible situation! 



franandaj said:


> Nope, and that's not the end of it.



Oh dear.... standing by.  


franandaj said:


> Turns out the subtle differences from East and West coast it wouldn't have made a ton of difference, but I'll get to that in my next update.



Looking forward to it!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> You think? I dunno. I'm not actually quarantined anyway. I'm essential services so I still go to work



Well I saw what you posted on what I think was Liesa's thead, about how you are divided Into teams and sterilize each others work areas. Crazy!



pkondz said:


> My life doesn't feel overly different right now either. Well... at work, it does. But not so much at home.



I guess that is good.



pkondz said:


> Not ordering delivery?



Too expensive. Whenever we order it ends up being $30-50. Most of my meals are less than $10.



pkondz said:


> The latter.



OK, well you know the Carousel of Progress? Do you know who sponsored it?

I'll save you having to go Google it, General Electric was the sponsor.  Really it was one giant ad for a concept that they were launching, The Gold Medallion Home.  I found this on Google:

To earn a *gold medallion*--a decal affixed to a *home's* entryway and considered the apex of modern, all-electric living--a *home* had to have an electric clothes washer and dryer, waste disposal, refrigerator and all-electric heating. 

You got one of these outside the front door. All the apartments at De Soto have these:





So here is a diagram of the radiant ceiling heat concept, there are coils in the ceiling that heat up. While it makes no sense, because heat rises, it works pretty well.  So well that you only really have to turn on the coils for about 20-30 minutes, as soon as you feel the heat, it's best to turn it off because the coils radiate for quite a long time.  If you leave it on all night, you've just turned that room into a sauna.





Of our 11 units, 2 have forced air heating/cooling (central heat/air), one has forced air heating (no cooling), four have wall heaters, and the other four have this radiant ceiling heat.



pkondz said:


> I'd mentioned him on... either my own or someone else's TR a few months ago.



I know he was mentioned on Liesa's TR...



pkondz said:


> Huh. So it _was_ a first! In all ways!



Pretty much!


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> Caught back up again.  I needed a dose of Disney with the news about the parks being closed until further notice and waiting for DCL to cancel my cruise.



Well, I'll try and give you another dose, soon.



rndmr2 said:


> The microwave, it isn't quite the same but does the job if you have a craving.



I've done them in the oven as well.....



Steppesister said:


> That's about right. I am keeping busy enough, but am having to adjust my sleep hours and things are all wonky there. Hopefully, that's behind me now, but that also means not enough hours now too.



I'm sorry that your sleep was all wonky.  I hope you get your work situation somewhat stabilized.



Steppesister said:


> I think these days it's good to be busy and find things to do. A bored society is a terrible situation!



I'm not sure about your area, but they reported the other day that crime was down in the LA area.  Even the criminals are social distancing!  



Steppesister said:


> Oh dear.... standing by.



Well....it kind of drags out, it's a few updates worth of slight drama.



Steppesister said:


> Looking forward to it!



Almost there!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I'm sorry that your sleep was all wonky. I hope you get your work situation somewhat stabilized.



Taking a nap right now.... Sadly, "stabilized" means no work for a time. 


franandaj said:


> I'm not sure about your area, but they reported the other day that crime was down in the LA area. Even the criminals are social distancing!



LOL!!! I wondered about that. 


franandaj said:


> Well....it kind of drags out, it's a few updates worth of slight drama.


OH boy!! Some drama!!


----------



## franandaj

So it’s become even more crazy since the last time I updated.  However, as others have pointed out, there isn’t all that much to do, so why not keep updating?  I’d like to say something about things “going back to normal.” But I don’t think that is ever going to happen.  Sure, stores and restaurants will reopen, we will be allowed to go back to the beaches, go to concerts, gather together in groups, but I don’t think it will ever be “the same”.  

Just like after 9-11, we can’t take beverages through security checkpoints anymore.  You have to take your shoes off, unless you have been deemed worthy by some official government agency, and all that other stuff that changed.  I think this is going to make some kind of profound change, although I don’t know what that will be, but it will be different.  I think you’re going to hear phrases like, “Yeah that was Pre-Covid.” or “Don’t you wish we could still (insert banned behavior here)?”

Hopefully this won’t last too long and we all come out of it OK.  I’ve already had one DIS friend hospitalized due to this thing, and I hope she fights with everything that she’s got!  So everyone stay safe, and if you haven’t already seen it, Google “Randy Rainbow I will Social Distance” for a good laugh.  Don’t watch it with your kids, there are a few naughty words in there….

Day 5

I woke up several times during the night, anxious for our early morning. But Fran promptly woke me at 5:25AM. That day was here, the one I'd been training for. When RotR opened in DL on January 17, there was a ton of hype. From the second day I started to "play along at home". You see to get a Boarding Group, you must be scanned into a park. However, you used to be able to open the app and click on the buttons to a certain point in the process until you got an error message which says something to the effect of "Wait! Is everyone in your party in the park?"

I had done this every day for almost a week after the ride opened and felt like I had a decent handle on how the process worked.

I had prepped my coffee in advance the night before and this was my breakfast.





When we were about to leave Fran noticed that I had plugged her scooter charger into the wall, but had neglected to plug the cord into her scooter. My battery had a full charge, so we swapped out batteries, and we were out the door just after 6AM. Our driver was right on time and he loaded Fran into the car and we were on our way.





He dropped us near the front of the park, and we breezed through security. Thousands of our friends were there with us as we waited in line. 





They started to let us through the tapstiles at 6:54. I got Fran a bagel and hot chocolate at Starbucks before the line became super crazy. We each used the restroom and then we found a comfortable place to sit at a bench on Sunset Blvd and we waited for 8:00AM to come around. I was a little concerned because everything I read said to get away from people. By about 7:45 the lines for ToT and RnRC had stretched all the way out to the end of the street. I did another speed test and it still said I had a fast connection so I just stayed put.

When Fran's phone died a painful death last May, Verizon was having a BOGO on phones, so I got a new Galaxy S10+, and she got a Galaxy S10. Since there was nothing wrong with my S8, we were able to keep that, just with a new Sim card and a different phone number. We call that "the book phone" and use it to listen to our audio books in the car. Because of the trauma of getting a Boarding Group, I brought both phones on the trip and had them ready to go this morning.





We did the phone restart at 7:53, and started the app at 7:58. I counted down at 7:59, and as soon as the phone hit 8:00 I clicked on the button on each phone. Both had the magical red button, but my S10+ was in my right hand (which is the dominant one and thus faster). The process was a little different than what I've read about on the DL boards. At DL everyone in your party is automatically selected and you have to de-select those who aren't with you. On WDW's app you have to select your party much like the process of making FP.

I don't remember exactly the rest but I hit whatever affirmative buttons I saw like "confirm" or "continue", and boom! Group 10! Woohoo we would be riding very soon and have the rest of the day to do whatever! Or so we thought….

We headed over to GE with everyone else in the park. Except for those riding RnRC, ToT, and SDD. We found a place for me to sit, I didn't bring my scooter since a taxi for two scooters would have been a real PITA. The Boarding Groups started with 2, and somewhere around 8:30 the Back Up Groups sold out. We noticed them boarding shortly thereafter and around 8:45 they called our boarding group. We wound our way through the queue, and about 8:59 we were stopped in line. They let us into the preshow room and when we left there, it was different than when we rode it at DL. We followed the rest of our group and pretty soon we found out that a CM would be scanning our MB to give us a FP to come back anytime the ride was up and running. They had stopped at BG 14. We were back out of the ride at 9:10AM. We walked through the marketplace. I looked for mobile order opportunities, but none of the breakfast options sounded good to me. Fran checked out the shops, naturally. When she had finally visited all of them, we exited to TS Land. At Woody's Lunchbox we ordered a Smoked Turkey Breakfast sandwich without the eggs and an order of potato barrels.





It was good. And we waited…..





The ride had been down for over an hour now, and we decided to go get a pink donut. I got in line at 10:35 and she went back to the Guest Experience kiosk to get some maps to see if there was another place for a donut with a shorter line. I checked the app again for the hundred thousandths time, and they were on boarding group 15! The ride had opened back up!

We bailed on the donuts and made our way to the other side of the park. The only place farther away in the park we could have been was ToT or RnRC. But we made it! Since we had "recovery passes" and not a regular boarding group a different CM had to scan our MBs, and again we were on our way to join the resistance. By 11:30 we had finished our mission and decided to head back to the room. We exited Batuu toward the Muppets attraction and past the ABC Commissary. As we were going out and up a slight hill to the front of the Chinese Theater her scooter started to act up. The reason we didn't bring her scooter on the last trip was because of this problem. We even took it to the scooter store but we hadn't listened to the beeps when it experienced the problems (troubleshooting) and couldn't replicate the problem at the shop. This time I counted. It was two beeps followed by three beeps.

I was able to get the scooter up the hill while Fran walked.  Once we were on level ground, Fran rode the scooter to the Skyliner. I drove it up the hill and into the cars. We changed lines at CBR and when we got off at Riviera she got back on the scooter. Just as we got back into the hotel, it stopped again. She gave up and told me to ride it, and walked through the hallways back to the room. It barely made it, but we did get back to the room.
I switched the batteries back, hers now had a full charge, and then I downloaded the scooter manual to check the troubleshooting guide.

It turns out that two beeps means battery charge is too low and three beeps means the Travel Scooter’s battery voltage is too high to operate the scooter, or the charger is still connected to the off board charger port. The second one made no sense to me, but whatever.

I do know this much, over time a battery loses it's overall ability to hold a charge. Her scooter is bigger than mine, and she is heavier than me. Perhaps the combination of the larger scooter and extra weight caused the battery charge to go down more rapidly. 

With her battery back in place, I took her scooter on a little spin around the resort. It was all zippy again, so perhaps my scooter's batteries need to be changed before our next big trip that I will need it. And now who knows when that is going to be. Luckily I didn't have any problems through the rest of the trip.

While I was out on the test run, I had brought the "Book phone" as my real phone was down to maybe 28%. I came back to the room to find a text from the tenant with the heater problem saying she left the heat on for a long time and there was still no heat. So we texted the contractor her name and phone number and asked him if he would set up an appointment with her to take a look at the electrical.

Fran crawled in bed while I was out on the test run. Since we didn’t get our donut, I brought back some of these brownie bites and she ate one, she had finished off the pop tart that was left while I was gone. 





They also had these pastries, but I liked the idea of brownie bites the best.





I played my Mahjong game for a few minutes and eventually also succumbed to the nap.  However I was rudely awakened by a phone call from one of those health care consultants who wanted to "take a few moments to discuss my health". I told them I was on vacation and didn't want to talk right now. Then I added them to my contact list so I wouldn't answer the phone from them again.

By this time, I was ready to go to Trader Sam's. Today was the day to which I rescheduled our visit, but Fran fell right back asleep. So instead I got up, dressed and started catching up on everyone's TRs.

Just before 5PM we left the room. We arrived at the bus stop at 5:03PM and the posted time for an MK bus was 5:09 which promptly switched to 5:10, and then 5:11. It was maybe 5:14 when they had us all loaded up and ready to go.

Now we were looking at the Skyliner from another perspective….





We unloaded at MK, made it through security and they actually got us on the monorail that was loading. We disembarked at the Poly and were checking in to Trader Sam's by 6:15. However they were quoting an hour to 75 minute wait to get in. We put our name on the list and decided to figure out what we wanted to do. The day before I was texting with our new tenant about her heater and she wasn't able to get it to work, so I offered her space heaters and she said "yes". I called Naked Jim and asked if he would pick them up when he fed the cats that night and bring them by and he said sure. We were hungry so we ordered a pepperoni flatbread and side of mac and cheese from Captain Cooks. 





As soon as we finished our food, a text came in that we were the next guests at TS. When we put in our names, I knew that it wouldn't be a full hour. I saw the hostess scroll through the guests on the list, and  there were parties of 9 and 7 in there and people like that don't want to wait that long. It makes the wait for small parties like us much less.

We snagged "our table" since we seem to have sat there the last couple times and figured out our order. I got the Dark & Tropical Stormy Category 5, while she ordered a pearl. 





We also got an order of the Chicken Lettuce Cups as we were still a little hungry.





We then ordered another round. I got the same while she was able to order their special Christmas drink that came with a souvenir mug. Her drink tasted a little funny. Neither of us could peg what it was, but wasn't bad enough to keep her from finishing it.





We went upstairs to the Tambu Lounge which was my main reason for coming here. I really wanted the 'Ohana Bread Pudding. I had made a reservation at 'Ohana just to have it, but it turns out that DVC was having a Moonlight Magic event the same night I got the 'Ohana reservation. 





I said that I would cancel it as long as I could have the bread pudding, so now I could cancel it. Even better, we found out that you can now get the noodles, potstickers and chicken wings from 'Ohana at the bar. So now we have a "thing". If there is a wait for Trader Sam's, we will come up to the Tambu Lounge, get some drinks and some appetizers, go to Sam's, have more drinks and appetizers, and come back for dessert. We'll call it the "Polynesian dinner!"

So after my Lapu Lapu, her Rum Swizzle, and our shared Bread pudding, we were ready to call it a night. 





We caught the monorail to the MK and when we got to the bus stop there was already one wheelchair there as well as a bus. That wheelchair rider got on as did all the rest of the passengers. So we waited probably a good 20 minutes for the next bus before we boarded. BTW, we were the only people who had to wait for the next bus.  We were on our way home by 9:46PM and I had gotten my coveted 'Ohana Bread Pudding so I was happy. Even Fran agreed that it was really good. I would sleep well tonight!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Just like after 9-11, we can’t take beverages through security checkpoints anymore. You have to take your shoes off, unless you have been deemed worthy by some official government agency, and all that other stuff that changed. I think this is going to make some kind of profound change, although I don’t know what that will be, but it will be different. I think you’re going to hear phrases like, “Yeah that was Pre-Covid.” or “Don’t you wish we could still (insert banned behavior here)?”



I suspect you're right about that.  Still, human beings are built for relationships, and we're going to be longing to get out of the house and see other people!



franandaj said:


> From the second day I started to "play along at home". You see to get a Boarding Group, you must be scanned into a park. However, you used to be able to open the app and click on the buttons to a certain point in the process until you got an error message which says something to the effect of "Wait! Is everyone in your party in the park?"



This just seems like such an insane procedure to me.  But I don't have any better ideas.



franandaj said:


> When we were about to leave Fran noticed that I had plugged her scooter charger into the wall, but had neglected to plug the cord into her scooter.



Uh oh.



franandaj said:


> He dropped us near the front of the park, and we breezed through security. Thousands of our friends were there with us as we waited in line.



 



franandaj said:


> I don't remember exactly the rest but I hit whatever affirmative buttons I saw like "confirm" or "continue", and boom! Group 10! Woohoo we would be riding very soon and have the rest of the day to do whatever!



YES! 



franandaj said:


> Or so we thought….



D'oh.



franandaj said:


> We followed the rest of our group and pretty soon we found out that a CM would be scanning our MB to give us a FP to come back anytime the ride was up and running. They had stopped at BG 14. We were back out of the ride at 9:10AM.



I have heard that it breaks down frequently.  The curse of new technology, I guess.



franandaj said:


> Since we had "recovery passes" and not a regular boarding group a different CM had to scan our MBs, and again we were on our way to join the resistance. By 11:30 we had finished our mission and decided to head back to the room.



Nice!  Glad you got to ride.  Is it the greatest ride ever like they say?



franandaj said:


> I do know this much, over time a battery loses it's overall ability to hold a charge. Her scooter is bigger than mine, and she is heavier than me. Perhaps the combination of the larger scooter and extra weight caused the battery charge to go down more rapidly.



Seems as good a theory as any.



franandaj said:


> We then ordered another round. I got the same while she was able to order their special Christmas drink that came with a souvenir mug. Her drink tasted a little funny. Neither of us could peg what it was, but wasn't bad enough to keep her from finishing it.



Probably extra egg nog.  



franandaj said:


> Even better, we found out that you can now get the noodles, potstickers and chicken wings from 'Ohana at the bar. So now we have a "thing". If there is a wait for Trader Sam's, we will come up to the Tambu Lounge, get some drinks and some appetizers, go to Sam's, have more drinks and appetizers, and come back for dessert. We'll call it the "Polynesian dinner!"



Cool, that's good to know!  That would make for a quality dinner on its own.



franandaj said:


> We were on our way home by 9:46PM and I had gotten my coveted 'Ohana Bread Pudding so I was happy. Even Fran agreed that it was really good. I would sleep well tonight!



Glad it was such a good day!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

We love 'Ohana Bread Pudding!   And since we discovered it at Tambu Lounge, we've never been back to 'Ohana for supper... Our family motto is Life is short, eat dessert first!!!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well I saw what you posted on what I think was Liesa's thead, about how you are divided Into teams and sterilize each others work areas. Crazy!


It's definitely different. We also have a designated table for eating, a designated computer for surfing on a break, and a dedicated lazy boy recliner.


franandaj said:


> I guess that is good.


Unless I try to go shopping. That's completely different too, now.


franandaj said:


> Too expensive. Whenever we order it ends up being $30-50. Most of my meals are less than $10.


I get that. But... if you were to go out... but can't... you'd order, no?


franandaj said:


> OK, well you know the Carousel of Progress? Do you know who sponsored it?
> 
> I'll save you having to go Google it, General Electric was the sponsor. Really it was one giant ad for a concept that they were launching, The Gold Medallion Home. I found this on Google:
> 
> To earn a *gold medallion*--a decal affixed to a *home's* entryway and considered the apex of modern, all-electric living--a *home* had to have an electric clothes washer and dryer, waste disposal, refrigerator and all-electric heating.
> 
> You got one of these outside the front door. All the apartments at De Soto have these:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So here is a diagram of the radiant ceiling heat concept, there are coils in the ceiling that heat up. While it makes no sense, because heat rises, it works pretty well. So well that you only really have to turn on the coils for about 20-30 minutes, as soon as you feel the heat, it's best to turn it off because the coils radiate for quite a long time. If you leave it on all night, you've just turned that room into a sauna.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Of our 11 units, 2 have forced air heating/cooling (central heat/air), one has forced air heating (no cooling), four have wall heaters, and the other four have this radiant ceiling heat.


Interesting. So it's basically like in-floor radiant heating but mounted in the ceiling. I presume the ceiling has to be plaster or stucco?
And some of your units don't have cooling? I would've thought that'd be a must for California.
What do the tenants with radiant heat think of it?


franandaj said:


> I know he was mentioned on Liesa's TR...


Probably by me. 
I know that until I mentioned it, it's like no one had heard of him.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> So it’s become even more crazy since the last time I updated.


Yep. And getting worse tomorrow. Ah well...


franandaj said:


> I’d like to say something about things “going back to normal.” But I don’t think that is ever going to happen. Sure, stores and restaurants will reopen, we will be allowed to go back to the beaches, go to concerts, gather together in groups, but I don’t think it will ever be “the same”.


I disagree. Yes there are still things in place from 9/11, but you might argue that they should have been in place _before_ 9/11. 
But a terrorist attack is quite different from a viral pandemic. 
How many things affected you on a daily or even occasional basis after the pandemic of 1918? Maybe lessons from that were to wash your hands more... but that's been forgotten. We've already (pre-COVID) been teaching our children to cough into their elbows. Will there be changes? Sure. Many in the short term with more and more restrictions being lifted as time goes by. We'll all remember this, just as we remember other momentous occasions in our lives.


franandaj said:


> I’ve already had one DIS friend hospitalized due to this thing, and I hope she fights with everything that she’s got!


Oh, no. I'm sorry to hear that. I sure hope she gets well.


franandaj said:


> But Fran promptly woke me at 5:25AM.


Wait... What? Fran woke you?? FRAN??????


franandaj said:


> That day was here, the one I'd been training for.


Cue Rocky theme music.


franandaj said:


> this was my breakfast.


With the requisite V8. 


franandaj said:


> When we were about to leave Fran noticed that I had plugged her scooter charger into the wall, but had neglected to plug the cord into her scooter.


Oh, shoot!


franandaj said:


>


You know... that's the first time _ever_ that I've seen that.
Not just with Fran... I mean with _anybody_.


franandaj said:


>


Just a few of your closest friends.


franandaj said:


> By about 7:45 the lines for ToT and RnRC had stretched all the way out to the end of the street.


Whoa... Dudes! Just FP one!


franandaj said:


> Because of the trauma of getting a Boarding Group, I brought both phones on the trip and had them ready to go this morning.


Makes me think of all those movies where someone is holding two guns in their hands, ready for action. Matrix, perhaps?


franandaj said:


> At DL everyone in your party is automatically selected and you have to de-select those who aren't with you. On WDW's app you have to select your party much like the process of making FP.


I had no idea there were differences. Huh.


franandaj said:


> I don't remember exactly the rest but I hit whatever affirmative buttons I saw like "confirm" or "continue", and boom! Group 10!


Yuss!


franandaj said:


> we would be riding very soon and have the rest of the day to do whatever! Or so we thought….


Uh, oh...


franandaj said:


> somewhere around 8:30 the Back Up Groups sold out.


I'm actually surprised it took that long.


franandaj said:


> We followed the rest of our group and pretty soon we found out that a CM would be scanning our MB to give us a FP to come back anytime the ride was up and running.


Well, poop...


franandaj said:


> The ride had been down for over an hour now, and we decided to go get a pink donut.


Where is that available?


franandaj said:


> I checked the app again for the hundred thousandths time, and they were on boarding group 15! The ride had opened back up!


I'm a bit surprised you didn't get a text or something, but...


franandaj said:


> Since we had "recovery passes" and not a regular boarding group a different CM had to scan our MBs, and again we were on our way to join the resistance. By 11:30 we had finished our mission


Nice! Any differences between the two parks?


franandaj said:


> As we were going out and up a slight hill to the front of the Chinese Theater her scooter started to act up.


Oh, no...


franandaj said:


> I was able to get the scooter up the hill while Fran walked. Once we were on level ground, Fran rode the scooter to the Skyliner. I drove it up the hill and into the cars. We changed lines at CBR and when we got off at Riviera she got back on the scooter. Just as we got back into the hotel, it stopped again. She gave up and told me to ride it, and walked through the hallways back to the room. It barely made it, but we did get back to the room.


What an ordeal! You didn't have to push it again, did you?


franandaj said:


> I do know this much, over time a battery loses it's overall ability to hold a charge. Her scooter is bigger than mine, and she is heavier than me. Perhaps the combination of the larger scooter and extra weight caused the battery charge to go down more rapidly.


That could be? Are both batteries identical?


franandaj said:


> I played my Mahjong game for a few minutes and eventually also succumbed to the nap.


 


franandaj said:


> However I was rudely awakened by a phone call from one of those health care consultants who wanted to "take a few moments to discuss my health".



So annoying.


franandaj said:


> We unloaded at MK, made it through security and they actually got us on the monorail that was loading.


What do you mean? It was there and loading when you got to security?


franandaj said:


> We disembarked at the Poly and were checking in to Trader Sam's by 6:15. However they were quoting an hour to 75 minute wait to get in.


Yikes!


franandaj said:


> When we put in our names, I knew that it wouldn't be a full hour. I saw the hostess scroll through the guests on the list, and there were parties of 9 and 7 in there and people like that don't want to wait that long. It makes the wait for small parties like us much less.


Did not think of that. Good tip!


franandaj said:


> Her drink tasted a little funny. Neither of us could peg what it was, but wasn't bad enough to keep her from finishing it.


Sure. It probably had rum in it.

 


franandaj said:


> We went upstairs to the Tambu Lounge which was my main reason for coming here. I really wanted the 'Ohana Bread Pudding.


Have yet to have some.


franandaj said:


> I said that I would cancel it as long as I could have the bread pudding, so now I could cancel it. Even better, we found out that you can now get the noodles, potstickers and chicken wings from 'Ohana at the bar. So now we have a "thing". If there is a wait for Trader Sam's, we will come up to the Tambu Lounge, get some drinks and some appetizers, go to Sam's, have more drinks and appetizers, and come back for dessert. We'll call it the "Polynesian dinner!"


Oh! I might have to rethink things a bit...


franandaj said:


> So we waited probably a good 20 minutes for the next bus before we boarded. BTW, we were the only people who had to wait for the next bus.


Was the bus that you "missed" full?


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> I suspect you're right about that. Still, human beings are built for relationships, and we're going to be longing to get out of the house and see other people!



Oh, totally.  I just have a feeling that regulations will change in some way, like room capacity, table spacing at restaurants. Giant crowds may be discouraged.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> This just seems like such an insane procedure to me. But I don't have any better ideas.



There is a thread on the Disneyland boards (and one for the DHS version of RotR), where people have proposed all kinds of ideas, and this keeps coming back as the best idea.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> YES!



Winning!   



Captain_Oblivious said:


> D'oh.
> 
> I have heard that it breaks down frequently. The curse of new technology, I guess.



Well without giving too many spoilers, the last weekend we were out at Disney I was having a discussion with a friend and he gave me some good insight into the ride going down.  There are quite a few components to the experience as it is much more than a ride. The final part involves a vehicle. To actually "start" the ride, evidently all the vehicles need to "have their ducks in a row." So to speak.  So if a ride-downing-event does happen, they need to evacuate the persons on the ride, or ride them off, then they need to get all the vehicles back in place.  Then they can run whatever diagnostics need to test out before they can start it again.  That's usually why when it goes down, it is for at least an hour.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Nice! Glad you got to ride. Is it the greatest ride ever like they say?



Well, it is pretty darned cool!  I was glad have been able to ride it in previews in January so I wasn't having FOMO when the hype started.  This time was my second time on it, and I got to ride it two more times at DL before all this Quarantine happened.  If you can go in without having any knowledge of what's to come (other than you are joining the Resistance), it's mind blowing the first time.  After that, it's just super cool with lots of fun effects and seriously awesome scenes.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Seems as good a theory as any.



I can work with that.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Probably extra egg nog.



It was dairy free, but the strange taste was some kind of spice.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Cool, that's good to know! That would make for a quality dinner on its own.



It really could.  I'm looking forward to going back some day and trying it.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Glad it was such a good day!



We did knock a few things off our "to-do" list!


----------



## franandaj

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> We love 'Ohana Bread Pudding!   And since we discovered it at Tambu Lounge, we've never been back to 'Ohana for supper... Our family motto is Life is short, eat dessert first!!!



Fran likes that motto! At buffets she usually has breakfast first!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> It's definitely different. We also have a designated table for eating, a designated computer for surfing on a break, and a dedicated lazy boy recliner.



Is this for each team?



pkondz said:


> Unless I try to go shopping. That's completely different too, now.



   Although I went to the store on Sunday and the meat counter looked almost normal. They had all kinds of cuts of meat, whereas several weeks ago I had to grind my own meat to make spaghetti sauce.



pkondz said:


> I get that. But... if you were to go out... but can't... you'd order, no?



We ordered take out the other night, but I don't think we'll be doing that again for a while. Just too expensive. I'm afraid that tenants will stop paying their rent.



pkondz said:


> Interesting. So it's basically like in-floor radiant heating but mounted in the ceiling. I presume the ceiling has to be plaster or stucco?



The ceiling is popcorn sprayed, probably plaster. And you know I don't mean real popcorn, right?



pkondz said:


> And some of your units don't have cooling? I would've thought that'd be a must for California.



Certain places it's a must, but Long Beach rarely gets so hot that you really need it. If you can open your windows the breeze is sufficient.



pkondz said:


> What do the tenants with radiant heat think of it?



They haven't told me.



pkondz said:


> Probably by me.
> I know that until I mentioned it, it's like no one had heard of him.



That's so weird. How do you miss him?



pkondz said:


> Yep. And getting worse tomorrow. Ah well...



I had to employ my Canadian spy to crack this one, but now I get it.



pkondz said:


> I disagree. Yes there are still things in place from 9/11, but you might argue that they should have been in place _before_ 9/11.
> But a terrorist attack is quite different from a viral pandemic.



Unless the pandemic is a terrorist act.    Let the conspiracy theorists discuss amongst yourselves....



pkondz said:


> How many things affected you on a daily or even occasional basis after the pandemic of 1918?



Well let's look at it this way....how many things in place in 2020 were in place in 1918?

We just watched a History Channel Mini Series, _The Food That Built America,_ which chronicled some of the largest corporations growth throughout the end of the Civil War through the 1960s or 1970s. It was actually quite fascinating and covered the beginnings of companies like Heinz, Hershey's, Kellogg's, CW Post, M&M Mars, and later McDonald's and KFC.

One thing that they mentioned in that program was that prior to the great recession of the 1930s, normal people did not "go out" to dinner as a general rule. That was a Post WWII phenomenon. With the American GI Bill suburbia was born and with the newfound car culture an upwardly mobile new class of people developed. One with a somewhat disposable income and could enjoy dining out.

Then along came the whole car hop culture and two gentlemen in San Bernardino looking to increase their bottom line. They developed a new system of cooking/ordering that could put your meal in your hands within 2 minutes. Previously dining was a minimum 1 hour ritual since you had to be seated, place the order, etc.

So if you think about it, the entire restaurant culture, be it dine in or Fast food dine in, was not even born in 1918. The drive through (which is unchanged in Corona culture) will stay the same regardless. I think, at least in the litigious US culture, we will see a change in dine in restaurants after this is over.



pkondz said:


> Maybe lessons from that were to wash your hands more... but that's been forgotten. We've already (pre-COVID) been teaching our children to cough into their elbows. Will there be changes? Sure. Many in the short term with more and more restrictions being lifted as time goes by. We'll all remember this, just as we remember other momentous occasions in our lives.



I'm sure there will be all kinds of restrictions as we ease back into life, and they will get lifted slowly, but I really doubt we will go back to what we called normal six months ago. And I bet everyone is going to keep a larger amount of TP on hand in the future!  



pkondz said:


> Oh, no. I'm sorry to hear that. I sure hope she gets well.



Well the day after I posted that, she went home from the hospital so I hope that she continues to recover!



pkondz said:


> Wait... What? Fran woke you?? FRAN??????



I have a feeling that she did not sleep that night. That's how she is able to wake me up on the mornings when we fly.



pkondz said:


> Cue Rocky theme music.



That's kind of exactly what I was thinking when I wrote that!  



pkondz said:


> With the requisite V8.



  Got to keep my strength up!



pkondz said:


> Oh, shoot!



Yeah, important lesson learned.



pkondz said:


> You know... that's the first time _ever_ that I've seen that.
> Not just with Fran... I mean with _anybody_.



You mean the drive in cab?



pkondz said:


> Just a few of your closest friends.



And right now, in the current circumstances I'm like 



pkondz said:


> Whoa... Dudes! Just FP one!



Well that was also when all the good rides at DHS were Tier 1 FP. So if you had RnRC, you'd have to rope drop ToT or SDD or TSMM.



pkondz said:


> Makes me think of all those movies where someone is holding two guns in their hands, ready for action. Matrix, perhaps?



I was thinking more spaghetti Western style, with six shooters. Never seen the Matrix.



pkondz said:


> I had no idea there were differences. Huh.



Very subtle. Only in the way you select your boarding party.



pkondz said:


> I'm actually surprised it took that long.



There were some days that it lasted until 10:30 or 11AM. Not in CA until the last couple days before COVID-19. Then they were lasting blasting the way until noon.



pkondz said:


> Well, poop...



 



pkondz said:


> Where is that available?



You know the street where the entrance to TSMM used to be? Right where you turn to enter TS land with the giant Woody? (Giant Woody ) There are two concession stands on the left where you enter TS land. One sells mostly coffee and hot chocolate, the other sells more pastries and such.



pkondz said:


> I'm a bit surprised you didn't get a text or something, but...



Then everyone would come flooding back. They do send a "push" notification when your original boarding group comes up.



pkondz said:


> Nice! Any differences between the two parks?



Not that I could tell.



pkondz said:


> Oh, no...
> What an ordeal! You didn't have to push it again, did you?



No it limped slowly back to the room. 



pkondz said:


> That could be? Are both batteries identical?



In theory, but it all depends how old they are. We keep forgetting to put a sticker with the date it was replaced on the battery case.



pkondz said:


> What do you mean? It was there and loading when you got to security?



No just when we were going up the hill. Usually we get to the top and they say, "We'll get you on the next one." But this was like, "C'mon! Hurry you can make it on this one!"



pkondz said:


> Did not think of that. Good tip!



Most people aren't patient enough to wait for their alcohol. They want to drink now and will go to the next easiest place to get it. Then when their name gets called they're like. "Nah, I'm good here." Fran and specifically want specialized alcohol!



pkondz said:


> Sure. It probably had rum in it.



Well of course!



pkondz said:


> Have yet to have some.
> Oh! I might have to rethink things a bit...



This would be a great way to sample their dinner without being a solo diner.



pkondz said:


> Was the bus that you "missed" full?



I suppose eventually it filled up, but since there was already one scooter/wheelchair, they would have only been able to take one of us and we don't like to split up.


----------



## DnA2010

[


franandaj said:


> You would probably have to pick up something that could be reheated. We're going to try ordering a fried chicken dinner from one of our favorite places tomorrow night so we'll pick it up and come right home to eat it so it's good and hot.



We are pondering but will prob just scrap it for now and save the $$..we've got loads of food in the freezer to cook with and with an unknown future, prob best to just use that.



franandaj said:


> Chocolate is good, but cinnamon is my favorite!



Oh interesting! If I ever get to a regular store (we mainly get to Costco) will see if the have cinnamon out of curiosity



franandaj said:


> Yes very simple stuff.



We had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner last night- yum.



franandaj said:


> But Fran promptly woke me at 5:25AM.



Fran woke you? whaat?



franandaj said:


> Thousands of our friends were there with us as we waited in line.



Just a few people had the same idea eh?



franandaj said:


> Because of the trauma of getting a Boarding Group, I brought both phones on the trip and had them ready to go this morning.



Clever! 



franandaj said:


>



Double fisting it  - I like it


franandaj said:


> boom! Group 10!



Score!!!!!



franandaj said:


> We wound our way through the queue, and about 8:59 we were stopped in line.



boooo...



franandaj said:


> Luckily I didn't have any problems through the rest of the trip.



That's good to hear.



franandaj said:


>



I love brownies...sometimes they can look dry, but still be oh so good!



franandaj said:


> hey also had these pastries, but I liked the idea of brownie bites the best.



The hazelnut caramel ones look not bad...


franandaj said:


> Naked Jim and asked if he would pick them up when he fed the cats that night and bring them by and he said sure



Good old Naked Jim for the win!



franandaj said:


> Chicken Lettuce Cups as we were still a little hungry.



Yumm..maybe we will have lettuce wraps for supper



franandaj said:


> So after my Lapu Lapu



Pretty sure it was Lapu Lapu like drinks that we were enjoying at the Vegas Tiki Bar- man they were STRONG!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Is this for each team?


One for both teams. They get sterilized when the teams switch. 


franandaj said:


> Although I went to the store on Sunday and the meat counter looked almost normal. They had all kinds of cuts of meat, whereas several weeks ago I had to grind my own meat to make spaghetti sauce.


Our deli at the supermarket is closed... but the deli at the butcher is open. Odd. 


franandaj said:


> We ordered take out the other night, but I don't think we'll be doing that again for a while. Just too expensive. I'm afraid that tenants will stop paying their rent.


Ohhhh... right. Yikes. 


franandaj said:


> The ceiling is popcorn sprayed, probably plaster. And you know I don't mean real popcorn, right?


 Had some at the old house. 


franandaj said:


> Certain places it's a must, but Long Beach rarely gets so hot that you really need it. If you can open your windows the breeze is sufficient.


Ah!


franandaj said:


> That's so weird. How do you miss him?


By focusing on the go-go scientist. 


franandaj said:


> Unless the pandemic is a terrorist act.  Let the conspiracy theorists discuss amongst yourselves....


Not touching that on a public forum. 


franandaj said:


> So if you think about it, the entire restaurant culture, be it dine in or Fast food dine in, was not even born in 1918. The drive through (which is unchanged in Corona culture) will stay the same regardless. I think, at least in the litigious US culture, we will see a change in dine in restaurants after this is over.


Perhaps. I’ll wait and see what happens. 


franandaj said:


> I'm sure there will be all kinds of restrictions as we ease back into life, and they will get lifted slowly, but I really doubt we will go back to what we called normal six months ago. And I bet everyone is going to keep a larger amount of TP on hand in the future!


 


franandaj said:


> Well the day after I posted that, she went home from the hospital so I hope that she continues to recover!


Good!!!


franandaj said:


> I have a feeling that she did not sleep that night. That's how she is able to wake me up on the mornings when we fly.


Oh. Not so great, then. 


franandaj said:


> That's kind of exactly what I was thinking when I wrote that!





franandaj said:


> You mean the drive in cab?


A person on a scooter in a cab. 


franandaj said:


> Well that was also when all the good rides at DHS were Tier 1 FP. So if you had RnRC, you'd have to rope drop ToT or SDD or TSMM.


That’s why I said “one”. 


franandaj said:


> I was thinking more spaghetti Western style, with six shooters.


That’ll work. 


franandaj said:


> Never seen the Matrix.


No? Interesting movie. Brand new film technique used. But that’s old now. 


franandaj said:


> There were some days that it lasted until 10:30 or 11AM. Not in CA until the last couple days before COVID-19. Then they were lasting blasting the way until noon.


Really!


franandaj said:


> You know the street where the entrance to TSMM used to be? Right where you turn to enter TS land with the giant Woody? (Giant Woody )


 


franandaj said:


> There are two concession stands on the left where you enter TS land. One sells mostly coffee and hot chocolate, the other sells more pastries and such.


I think that’s where I got that dreaded key lime pie on a stick. 


franandaj said:


> In theory, but it all depends how old they are. We keep forgetting to put a sticker with the date it was replaced on the battery case.


Gotcha. I was more wondering if they were the same voltage. 


franandaj said:


> No just when we were going up the hill. Usually we get to the top and they say, "We'll get you on the next one." But this was like, "C'mon! Hurry you can make it on this one!"


Ah. 


franandaj said:


> I suppose eventually it filled up, but since there was already one scooter/wheelchair, they would have only been able to take one of us and we don't like to split up.


Wish the busses could take at least 4 scooters. Don’t see why not.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> We are pondering but will prob just scrap it for now and save the $$..we've got loads of food in the freezer to cook with and with an unknown future, prob best to just use that.



Yeah, I think we are going to need to save some $$ for a while too. We had to have a little financial meeting yesterday and figure out how to pay our bills and which credit cards and how many to let a balance go until next month. We haven't had to do that for a while. Like ever.  



DnA2010 said:


> Oh interesting! If I ever get to a regular store (we mainly get to Costco) will see if the have cinnamon out of curiosity



I went to Costco yesterday.  Pretty surreal.



DnA2010 said:


> We had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner last night- yum.



I should put that on the dining rotation. We just bought more pasteurized processed cheese food at Costco. I like my grilled cheese with one slice of that and a slice of regular cheddar.



DnA2010 said:


> Fran woke you? whaat?



Whenever we _need_ to get up she's the one who makes sure that we do. I think she doesn't sleep so she can make sure we get up and go.



DnA2010 said:


> Just a few people had the same idea eh?



I think some of them were there for other rides as well. MF:SR was not a FP ride then.



DnA2010 said:


> Clever!
> 
> Double fisting it - I like it







DnA2010 said:


> Score!!!!!



  



DnA2010 said:


> boooo...



 



DnA2010 said:


> That's good to hear.



I was a little worried but it never gave me any trouble on this trip.



DnA2010 said:


> I love brownies...sometimes they can look dry, but still be oh so good!



These brownies were very good, even a couple days later.



DnA2010 said:


> The hazelnut caramel ones look not bad...



I'm not a fan of hazelnut.



DnA2010 said:


> Good old Naked Jim for the win



For the most part, he's pretty reliable.



DnA2010 said:


> Yumm..maybe we will have lettuce wraps for supper



Hmmmm...I should look up a recipe for them....


----------



## jedijill

You have got the system down for getting boarding passes for RoTR!  Too bad the ride broke down but that it was up far earlier than our DL experience last month!

Jill in CO


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> So it’s become even more crazy since the last time I updated. However, as others have pointed out, there isn’t all that much to do, so why not keep updating? I’d like to say something about things “going back to normal.” But I don’t think that is ever going to happen. Sure, stores and restaurants will reopen, we will be allowed to go back to the beaches, go to concerts, gather together in groups, but I don’t think it will ever be “the same”.



This speaks to the whole freedom vs. safety topic... we all have our opinions and own comfort zones. I for one would like the freedom to make my own well-informed and caluculated choices about my and those around me's safety. To have them chipped away brings me concern. But... maybe if I can get down your way again, we can have drinks and look back that this as a terrible memory and and embrace moving forward again.



franandaj said:


> Just like after 9-11, we can’t take beverages through security checkpoints anymore. You have to take your shoes off, unless you have been deemed worthy by some official government agency, and all that other stuff that changed. I think this is going to make some kind of profound change, although I don’t know what that will be, but it will be different. I think you’re going to hear phrases like, “Yeah that was Pre-Covid.” or “Don’t you wish we could still (insert banned behavior here)?”



This.



franandaj said:


> Hopefully this won’t last too long and we all come out of it OK. I’ve already had one DIS friend hospitalized due to this thing, and I hope she fights with everything that she’s got! So everyone stay safe, and if you haven’t already seen it, Google “Randy Rainbow I will Social Distance” for a good laugh. Don’t watch it with your kids, there are a few naughty words in there….



I'll have to take a peek!



franandaj said:


> Our driver was right on time and he loaded Fran into the car and we were on our way.



Here we goooo-ooo-oo...





franandaj said:


> Because of the trauma of getting a Boarding Group, I brought both phones on the trip and had them ready to go this morning.



You are prepared!! That is ninja level!



franandaj said:


> I don't remember exactly the rest but I hit whatever affirmative buttons I saw like "confirm" or "continue", and boom! Group 10! Woohoo we would be riding very soon and have the rest of the day to do whatever! Or so we thought….



10!!! 



franandaj said:


> They let us into the preshow room and when we left there, it was different than when we rode it at DL. We followed the rest of our group and pretty soon we found out that a CM would be scanning our MB to give us a FP to come back anytime the ride was up and running. They had stopped at BG 14.



And there it is.




franandaj said:


> Fran checked out the shops, naturally. When she had finally visited all of them, we exited to TS Land. At Woody's Lunchbox we ordered a Smoked Turkey Breakfast sandwich without the eggs and an order of potato barrels.



I haven't gotten to try Woody's  yet. Sure would like to.



franandaj said:


> I switched the batteries back, hers now had a full charge, and then I downloaded the scooter manual to check the troubleshooting guide.



ugh.


franandaj said:


> However they were quoting an hour to 75 minute wait to get in. We put our name on the list and decided to figure out what we wanted to do.



That's about par for the course. Unless you "rope drop" it.
Even then we waited quite a while.



franandaj said:


> I said that I would cancel it as long as I could have the bread pudding, so now I could cancel it. Even better, we found out that you can now get the noodles, potstickers and chicken wings from 'Ohana at the bar. So now we have a "thing". If there is a wait for Trader Sam's, we will come up to the Tambu Lounge, get some drinks and some appetizers, go to Sam's, have more drinks and appetizers, and come back for dessert. We'll call it the "Polynesian dinner!"



What  a stupendous plan!! I like this!!



franandaj said:


> And we will see what happens, you never know where we will be in July.



One can sure hope!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> One for both teams. They get sterilized when the teams switch.



Makes sense.



pkondz said:


> Our deli at the supermarket is closed... but the deli at the butcher is open. Odd.



I was actually talking about the butcher counter at the supermarket. One of the markets I shop at has a full butcher's area, also it's open like kitchens at some restaurants so you can see all that they do. Everyone who works the meat counter there is a certified butcher.



pkondz said:


> Ohhhh... right. Yikes.



So far we haven't had anyone say they can't pay rent, but I still haven't collected rent from three tenants. Hopefully today.



pkondz said:


> By focusing on the go-go scientist.



But I mean really how long does it take to see her and look the other way. Besides I'm usually looking in his direction when we get to the top there.



pkondz said:


> Not touching that on a public forum.







pkondz said:


> Perhaps. I’ll wait and see what happens.



I think we're gonna be waiting a long time.  



pkondz said:


> I think that’s where I got that dreaded key lime pie on a stick.



Hmmm...I wouldn't have even given that a second thought, just not something that even sounds good to me. And from what I remember it wasn't. 



pkondz said:


> Gotcha. I was more wondering if they were the same voltage.



Pretty much. We have bought them from a number of places, but now we're mostly sticking to the mobility store. We used to save money by getting them at a place that specialized in just batteries, but I got a bad set from them a few years back. 

If I remember correctly there are two numbers. The first is the voltage and the other has something to do with amount of charge or how long they hold the charge for.



pkondz said:


> Wish the busses could take at least 4 scooters. Don’t see why not.



Can you imagine four novice scooter riders trying to park inside a bus?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Makes sense.


And I was wrong... and so was the person who told us that. It's completely different.


franandaj said:


> I was actually talking about the butcher counter at the supermarket. One of the markets I shop at has a full butcher's area, also it's open like kitchens at some restaurants so you can see all that they do. Everyone who works the meat counter there is a certified butcher.


Yes, I got that. We have a butcher at our supermarket too. Similar set up, I'm sure. But for better selection, I go to a dedicated butcher shop.


franandaj said:


> So far we haven't had anyone say they can't pay rent, but I still haven't collected rent from three tenants. Hopefully today.


What are you going to do with those not paying?


franandaj said:


> But I mean really how long does it take to see her and look the other way. Besides I'm usually looking in his direction when we get to the top there.


I think she draws the eye, so people tend to stare at her until they're past.


franandaj said:


> I think we're gonna be waiting a long time.


yup


franandaj said:


> Hmmm...I wouldn't have even given that a second thought, just not something that even sounds good to me. And from what I remember it wasn't.


It was disgusting.
Well... if you peeled all the white chocolate off and threw it in the bin, it might've been okay.


franandaj said:


> Can you imagine four novice scooter riders trying to park inside a bus?


Disney's newest comedic attraction!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Finally caught up!

Great pics!

I definitely have to try Beaches and Cream for a meal some time.  And getting the menu from 'Ohana at the bar - gamechanger!

Glad to hear that you both are doing well and sorry to hear one of your friends is ill.  My DIL is an ER nurse in NJ and she says that things are surreal.  Hundreds with the virus, and almost a quarter on ventilators.  She is working 5 12 hour shifts a week.


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> You have got the system down for getting boarding passes for RoTR!  Too bad the ride broke down but that it was up far earlier than our DL experience last month!



Someday we will get to do it again.  I hope.

That was a crazy experience at DL.  I just wish we could go back.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> This speaks to the whole freedom vs. safety topic... we all have our opinions and own comfort zones. I for one would like the freedom to make my own well-informed and caluculated choices about my and those around me's safety. To have them chipped away brings me concern. But... maybe if I can get down your way again, we can have drinks and look back that this as a terrible memory and and embrace moving forward again.



I hope that one day we can look back on this and think we all came through it with poise and dignity. However I'm not sure we can say that for all of our leaders.



Steppesister said:


> I'll have to take a peek!



Did you? What did you think?



Steppesister said:


> You are prepared!! That is ninja level!



Thanks! I've done pretty good the times we did the whole BG thing.



Steppesister said:


> 10!!!



Best I've done so far!



Steppesister said:


> And there it is.



The ride was pretty unreliable. I just hope I get to ride it again.



Steppesister said:


> I haven't gotten to try Woody's yet. Sure would like to.



Another thing I hope to try again...



Steppesister said:


> That's about par for the course. Unless you "rope drop" it.
> Even then we waited quite a while.



We haven't had long waits most of the time, but you do need table stalking skillz.



Steppesister said:


> What a stupendous plan!! I like this!!



I hope that we can employ this someday in the future.



Steppesister said:


> One can sure hope



But at this point, I doubt July is even a reasonable expectation.  When they bring the firefighters back to work at DL them we can have a reasonable expectation they plan on opening. Today was their last day of work before furlough.  I stand corrected, today is the last day.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> And I was wrong... and so was the person who told us that. It's completely different.



Ooops.



pkondz said:


> Yes, I got that. We have a butcher at our supermarket too. Similar set up, I'm sure. But for better selection, I go to a dedicated butcher shop.



I'm not sure we have any of those, wait! We had this discussion a few years ago and the closest ones were in Fullerton or Torrance. So Stater Bros. is our best bet.



pkondz said:


> What are you going to do with those not paying?



Well luckily, I didn't have any of those this month.



pkondz said:


> I think she draws the eye, so people tend to stare at her until they're past.



Not me, I'm looking at everything around me.



pkondz said:


> It was disgusting.
> Well... if you peeled all the white chocolate off and threw it in the bin, it might've been okay.







pkondz said:


> Disney's newest comedic attraction!



Or most dangerous!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Finally caught up!
> 
> Great pics!



Thanks!



tiggrbaby said:


> I definitely have to try Beaches and Cream for a meal some time. And getting the menu from 'Ohana at the bar - gamechanger!



Yes you should!  The only thing you can't get is the skewers, and I'm OK with that.



tiggrbaby said:


> Glad to hear that you both are doing well and sorry to hear one of your friends is ill. My DIL is an ER nurse in NJ and she says that things are surreal. Hundreds with the virus, and almost a quarter on ventilators. She is working 5 12 hour shifts a week.



Well luckily, she was released the day after I posted that.  She is recovering at home and seems to be doing pretty good.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I'm not sure we have any of those, wait! We had this discussion a few years ago and the closest ones were in Fullerton or Torrance. So Stater Bros. is our best bet.


They're not everywhere. But... I can think of 4 around town just off the top of my head.


franandaj said:


> Well luckily, I didn't have any of those this month.


That's good! Hopefully it'll stay that way.


franandaj said:


> Not me, I'm looking at everything around me.


You're observant. 


franandaj said:


> Or most dangerous!


meh. Shins, ankles... over-rated. Who needs 'em!


----------



## franandaj

Sorry I haven’t been around much.  My workload has not diminished with this shutdown, in fact it’s gotten worse. Our house helper’s husband freaked out when she said that she was coming to do some cleaning around our house, so I have no one to help with the chores for potentially the next 18 months or whenever this whole thing blows over. That means I am doing all the cleaning she used to do, in addition to all the other household tasks she used to help with like laundry, dishes and other things.

In addition our eBays are going steady, so I’m packing up music and old Disney collectibles pretty much every day. We make our daily jaunt to the PO and sometimes Fed Ex.  Fran drives me around like a Chauffeur and we get to listen to our book while we run errands. 

A bit of good news is that we finally rented our old place. It had been sitting vacant since the beginning of September. And this time I think the family who rented it will be staying for a while. At least I hope so.

The apartment I rented back in February went vacant at the beginning of this month.  I had to clean the carpets, but beyond that it was easily turned around. I’m hoping that one rents out before the end of the month. A two bedroom is a lot easier to rent out than a three bedroom.

While we have been hunkered down, in all my spare time  I’ve been working on my online cookbook. Well there will also be a printed version, but they are being produced in tandem.  If you’re interested in checking it out you will find it at http://www.longproperties.biz/cookbook.html  It’s about halfway done, I still have several categories to add, and a few more recipes to the existing ones.


Anyways, let’s get back to the TR!


Day 6


This morning I woke up a couple times, but 7:30 was when I finally woke for good. I was close to getting caught up on most of your TRs so I decided to work on replies to my own TR this morning. Fran started to wake up too and she was hungry. Me? I didn't want to eat anything so as not to spoil my appetite.

I made her an English Muffin and put some of the strawberry jam she stole from Captain Cooks on it. She also had a glass of V8. I did make myself a cup of coffee, and we just kind of sat around in bed watching some home renovation show.  We didn't like any of the stuff she did. At least the end staging stuff.

We got showered and dressed and finally left the room at 10:30 just as planned. We decided that trying to get on RotR was way too much work. We didn't want to have to get up that early again this trip. The whole hassle of needing to get a taxi, it was only $15, but we didn't need another day of that kind of stress this trip. Besides we were planning on doing it again at home in two weeks and then again in another week. 

We had Brunch at Le Cellier today, so this meant another trip on the Skyliner. Nothing eventful happened. No cranky trips to guest relations to complain about security, we were in the park half an hour early for our reservation.

We dawdled for another ten minutes and just went ahead and checked in.

They were able to seat us within just a couple minutes. We were seated in the Quebec region of the restaurant. They showed us the menu, but I had perused it online so many times I already knew what I would be ordering.





They took our drink orders and Fran got the mimosa and Thanks to @pkondz I knew that the Bloody Caesar was the drink to order! She got the Mimosa.





They brought us the bread basket first, I ate that little apple pastry, she had the chocolate croissant and we ate the pretzel bread throughout our meal.





along with the maple yogurt and granola. 





Our waiter was kind enough to offer to take our picture.









We got the cheese soup as an extra cause neither of us can resist that.





For our appetizers, Fran got the Deviled eggs.





I got the Steak Tartare. I couldn't even finish the portion, but it was so tasty!





Then they brought me the Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Sauce. This was so good and fantastically rich. I ate less than half of it.





Fran got the eggs Benedict with beef striploin. She ate all of it and even some of mine, but we ended up taking part of mine home.





Dessert was Maple Creme Brulee for her.





The Donuts and coffee for me. The donuts had a little too much pecan for me, and I did my best on the espresso chocolate mousse, but there was just way too much food overall and while she persevered and finished her Creme brulee, I had no chance.





We went back to one of the art stands to buy a piece of art that she had her eye on since Thursday.





It was hot and crowded so we headed directly out of the park. We had never planned on sticking around. We hate weekends in the parks. They are just so crowded. As we left we encountered what felt like a wall of people converging on us. No one seeing us down so low and people practically trampling us. Definitely time to get out of there.

We made our way back to the Skyliner, and watched a guy in a scooter who was clueless of the boarding process go up the regular boarding line. 

They stopped him at the top of the ramp, and luckily they let Fran and I go before him. But I noticed him trying to turn around. He didn't have any clue how to turn his scooter down to a lower setting and he was zipping around bumping into the railings and everything else. Definitely someone you need to avoid in the parks. I was glad to board my Skyliner car and get away from him.

We made it back to the room and Fran went right to bed. I wasn't really tired and ended up working on my TR and updating the DIS. Originally she had talked about going to WoD before dinner, but in the end she opted for the "more sleep" option.

I started getting her up at 5:30PM, but she moved so slowly we didn't get out the door until 6:30 and ended up being late for our dinner reservation. It wasn't a big deal and they seated us right away, but we did not have the lovely dinner experience that we had the last time we were here. 

The first big difference was the loud DJ thumping music that they were playing. It was hard to carry on a conversation. The next was that I ordered the same drink that I enjoyed so much the last time I was there. In October our server took the care to meticulously pour the tonic as to preserve the integrity of the little cucumber, lemon, lime, peppercorn sculpture.





This server poured the tonic over the whole thing as if it were some giant storm thus destroying the cute structure and flooding out all the cute ingredients. 





I suppose they are all meant to co-mingle, but he didn't have to completely destroy it as soon as it was placed on the table.

When Pam mentioned her gluten allergy, I asked if the Papas Bravas were OK for her.  I said that we were not ordering them, but wanted to know if they were OK.  He said he would bring her a menu of what was OK and so we waited.

Next thing we know an order of the potatoes shows up with the sauces on the side. 





A far cry from this that we had last fall.





We also loved the Gazpacho in October.





We ordered two bowls, and this is what they served us. Evidently they added beets to the recipe. Even Pamela who loves beets didn't like it. Jeanette thought it was lovely, so she finished theirs and took ours home togo.





We had this shrimp dish in October as well. The preparation was far superior at that time. 





Maybe because it was a Saturday night and busy they couldn't grill/toast the bread like before. And while the shrimp were indeed tasty, so far everything was not living up to what we remembered. 





Our last dish that we ordered was the Jamón Serrano. It was very good, but everything kind of came backwards. I sort of wanted to start with that and finish with the shrimp and potatoes.





Pamela ordered this salmon, and said that it was quite lovely.





Jeanette wanted something a little more and got these cones filled with goat cheese and tomatoes.





At this point we all decided that the check was in order so we asked for it and paid. Pam had picked us up a few groceries that I didn't realize were needed until we got here so we stopped by their car in the parking garage on our way back to the bus stop.  We made a plan for the next day, and said our goodbyes. 

There was a bus to the Riviera at the stop when we arrived, but they had just finished loading an ECV. We don't like to split up, so we decided to wait. Of course we were the only ones waiting once the bus left. I didn't keep track of the time, but I'm sure we waited the usual 20 minutes between buses. I just kept plugging away at the TR notes while we waited. 

Because neither of us ate very much, we were still hungry when we got home. We finished off the last two brownie bites, she ate the last of the raspberry pastry, and then we polished off the macarons from the French kiosk.

I was still hungry after that so I fixed myself up this little plate of leftovers from the Yachtsman. 





And that was just perfect. It was nearly midnight by now, and I was definitely ready for a bath and then a good nights sleep once I made it back to the bed.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> My workload has not diminished with this shutdown, in fact it’s gotten worse. Our house helper’s husband freaked out when she said that she was coming to do some cleaning around our house, so I have no one to help with the chores for potentially the next 18 months or whenever this whole thing blows over. That means I am doing all the cleaning she used to do, in addition to all the other household tasks she used to help with like laundry, dishes and other things.


Yeah, I can see that would keep you busy! Explains the absence!


franandaj said:


> Fran drives me around like a Chauffeur


Do you call her "Jeeves" from the back seat?


franandaj said:


> A bit of good news is that we finally rented our old place.


Hey! That's great! I was really wondering about it in this economy. Did you rent it to the family you mentioned?


franandaj said:


> The apartment I rented back in February went vacant at the beginning of this month. I had to clean the carpets, but beyond that it was easily turned around. I’m hoping that one rents out before the end of the month. A two bedroom is a lot easier to rent out than a three bedroom.


Good luck with it!


franandaj said:


> I didn't want to eat anything so as not to spoil my appetite.


That bodes well. 


franandaj said:


> the strawberry jam she stole from Captain Cooks on it.


What! Thief!!!

Wait... No one cares.


franandaj said:


> She also had a glass of V8


_There_ it is!


franandaj said:


> we just kind of sat around in bed watching some home renovation show


I've been watching some older ones from a few years back. Still really good though. Doubt you would've heard of it, though.


franandaj said:


> We decided that trying to get on RotR was way too much work.



First TR I've seen where I've read _that_!


franandaj said:


> We had Brunch at Le Cellier today,


Yum!
I would like to do that some day. 


franandaj said:


> so this meant another trip on the Skyliner. Nothing eventful happened. No cranky trips to guest relations to complain about security, we were in the park half an hour early for our reservation.


phew!


franandaj said:


> We were seated in the Quebec region of the restaurant


Huh. I didn't know there were regions. Just thought it was one big dining room.


franandaj said:


> They showed us the menu, but I had perused it online so many times I already knew what I would be ordering.


Okay... without looking at what followed, this was my order:
Very difficult choice between the mimosa and the Caesar. Like both.
It would depend on the time, and how I felt, I think. Early enough and I want OJ, so the mimosa would've won.
Bit later and the Caesar wins.
Deviled eggs. Love those.
Eggs Benedict. Can't _not_ order those.
Crème Brulee.


franandaj said:


> Thanks to @pkondz I knew that the Bloody Caesar was the drink to order!


 
Glad you liked it enough to order it. 


franandaj said:


> Our waiter was kind enough to offer to take our picture.


Nice photo, too!


franandaj said:


> We got the cheese soup as an extra cause neither of us can resist that.





franandaj said:


> For our appetizers, Fran got the Deviled eggs.


Fran is smart.


franandaj said:


> I got the Steak Tartare. I couldn't even finish the portion, but it was so tasty!


I just can't do it. I _know_ it's not just regular ground beef, but... I find the smell off-putting.


franandaj said:


> Then they brought me the Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Sauce. This was so good and fantastically rich. I ate less than half of it.


Whoa! I stopped reading when I saw Bennies, but... I think I'll order that instead!


franandaj said:


> Fran got the eggs Benedict with beef striploin.


Fran is smart.


franandaj said:


> Dessert was Maple Creme Brulee for her.


Fran is... 

I think you get the picture.


franandaj said:


> We went back to one of the art stands to buy a piece of art that she had her eye on since Thursday.


I can see how that would appeal to you. 


franandaj said:


> We made our way back to the Skyliner, and watched a guy in a scooter who was clueless of the boarding process go up the regular boarding line.


Whoops!


franandaj said:


> I noticed him trying to turn around. He didn't have any clue how to turn his scooter down to a lower setting and he was zipping around bumping into the railings and everything else. Definitely someone you need to avoid in the parks.


Oy. I can feel my shins getting destroyed from over here.


franandaj said:


> we did not have the lovely dinner experience that we had the last time we were here.


You didn't say where you were (or at least I didn't see it), but figured it out as Jaleo, yes?


franandaj said:


> This server poured the tonic over the whole thing as if it were some giant storm thus destroying the cute structure and flooding out all the cute ingredients.



Then why go to the trouble of making a nice presentation in the first place? 

Careless. Or not well trained.


franandaj said:


> When Pam mentioned her gluten allergy, I asked if the Papas Bravas were OK for her. I said that we were not ordering them, but wanted to know if they were OK. He said he would bring her a menu of what was OK and so we waited.
> 
> Next thing we know an order of the potatoes shows up with the sauces on the side.


I _knew_ that was going to happen.


franandaj said:


> A far cry from this that we had last fall.


That's... abysmal presentation. I mean... awful.


franandaj said:


> We had this shrimp dish in October as well. The preparation was far superior at that time.


You're batting 1,000 here... 


franandaj said:


> Jeanette wanted something a little more and got these cones filled with goat cheese and tomatoes.


Okay... Those look pretty neat. 


franandaj said:


> I didn't keep track of the time, but I'm sure we waited the usual 20 minutes between buses.


You know... While I _rarely_ wait for busses... I'm okay with 20 minutes. That's what they advertise, so if that's what I get... that's what they promised.


franandaj said:


> We finished off the last two brownie bites, she ate the last of the raspberry pastry, and then we polished off the macarons from the French kiosk.


Yum!


franandaj said:


> I was still hungry after that so I fixed myself up this little plate of leftovers from the Yachtsman.


Holy cow! What a feast!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> We had Brunch at Le Cellier today, so this meant another trip on the Skyliner. Nothing eventful happened. No cranky trips to guest relations to complain about security, we were in the park half an hour early for our reservation.



Yay for an easy trip. 
I have early memories of the skyliner that went through the Matterhorn.



franandaj said:


> We were seated in the Quebec region of the restaurant.



Did they ask you to speak french 




franandaj said:


>


Yummm! That's a good looking menu!



franandaj said:


> the Bloody Caesar was the drink to order!



Dorian is a huge ceasar fan!



franandaj said:


> She got the Mimosa.



This is more up my alley    


franandaj said:


> along with the maple yogurt and granola.



I'd prob skip this...I like maple, but it's not my fav...



franandaj said:


> We got the cheese soup as an extra cause neither of us can resist that.



I'd much rather have this!



franandaj said:


> or our appetizers, Fran got the Deviled eggs.



That's a decent serving!



franandaj said:


> Then they brought me the Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Sauce. This was so good and fantastically rich. I ate less than half of it.


Dannng that looks sooo good!



franandaj said:


> Fran got the eggs Benedict with beef striploin. She ate all of it and even some of mine, but we ended up taking part of mine home.


And sooo does this! I don't know how I would decide, as Dorian wouldn't want to share much of this beauty



franandaj said:


> Dessert was Maple Creme Brulee for her.



Maple again!



franandaj said:


> The donuts had a little too much pecan for me, and I did my best on the espresso chocolate mousse



Yumm, espresso chocolate mousse! Perfect! Chocolate and coffee, two of my favs!



franandaj said:


> In October our server took the care to meticulously pour the tonic as to preserve the integrity of the little cucumber, lemon, lime, peppercorn sculpture.



Gin drink? Love their tonics



franandaj said:


> At this point we all decided that the check was in order so we asked for it and paid



Pretty mehh hey! Your other meal looked like it was a lot better.



franandaj said:


> the macarons from the French kiosk



I JUST found out we have a new french pastry shop that does macaroons..will have to check it out!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Your brunch looked amazing!

Sorry the dinner ended up so disappointing!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> They stopped him at the top of the ramp, and luckily they let Fran and I go before him. But I noticed him trying to turn around. He didn't have any clue how to turn his scooter down to a lower setting and he was zipping around bumping into the railings and everything else. Definitely someone you need to avoid in the parks. I was glad to board my Skyliner car and get away from him.



  There are so many accidents with these things. I think a  lot of folks that don't normally use them suddenly do because of  the huge amounts of walking needed. But that is going to set the scene for loads of unsafe stuff to happen. Unfortunately it gives a bad rap to everyone using one.



franandaj said:


> but we did not have the lovely dinner experience that we had the last time we were here.



Oh no!! But the brunch sure looked amazing! The food looked really good, especially the eggs. I LOVE deviled eggs AND Eggs Benedict. Mmm!!!



franandaj said:


> This server poured the tonic over the whole thing as if it were some giant storm thus destroying the cute structure and flooding out all the cute ingredients.



Well, that's just dumb. Bummer the presentation was lost.


----------



## cruisehopeful

franandaj said:


> Maybe because it was a Saturday night and busy they couldn't grill/toast the bread like before. And while the shrimp were indeed tasty, so far everything was not living up to what we remembered.


The whole meal sounds like a disappointment. I suppose that if you hadn't had your previous meal, you wouldn't have known the difference and maybe it would have been a better experience, but I feel let down just from looking at the pictures of this time and last time.

That breakfast looked awesome, though! I feel like that's the kind of meal I'd have in a Palo brunch and then I'd be full through dinner and get hungry and some random time much later. 

I'm glad to hear that you've still been busy with life. I know it's probably more work than what you want right now, but it's probably helping keep your mind off of all of this shelter in place.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> They're not everywhere. But... I can think of 4 around town just off the top of my head.



Wow!  I just checked and you have less than a million people in the Peg, yet you have four butcher shops.  I googled butcher shops near me, and some of them that came up were just Carnecerias and at #8 Stater Bros, my market came up.  I think your people are much more discerning.



pkondz said:


> That's good! Hopefully it'll stay that way.



I hope so! I just need Apartment 2 to rent, and stay rented.  Did I tell this group that our doctor did an exorcism on the building? Got rid of all kinds of bad ju ju.



pkondz said:


> Yeah, I can see that would keep you busy! Explains the absence!



I'm trying to keep up, but Fran isn't allowing me a lot of computer screen time.



pkondz said:


> Do you call her "Jeeves" from the back seat?



None of our cars have back seats!  They're all flattened down so we can fit maximum crap in the back.



pkondz said:


> Hey! That's great! I was really wondering about it in this economy. Did you rent it to the family you mentioned?



I had mentioned several different people who were interested. This was a family who relocated from up north.



pkondz said:


> What! Thief!!!
> 
> Wait... No one cares.



Exactly.  She could have gone downstairs to our QS restaurant and stole them as well.



pkondz said:


> I've been watching some older ones from a few years back. Still really good though. Doubt you would've heard of it, though.



Are these Canadian home improvement shows?  Fran has watched quite a few of them over the years.  She fancies herself someone that can do these things.....read: she tells me how to do it... 



pkondz said:


> First TR I've seen where I've read _that_!



It's a lot of work! And so much stress and adrenaline.  And remember we aren't rope drop kinda folks. We're stay in bed watching TV, play on our phones type of people. 



pkondz said:


> Yum!
> I would like to do that some day.



Evidently its only offered during the Festival of Arts.



pkondz said:


> Huh. I didn't know there were regions. Just thought it was one big dining room.



I wonder if this is new and they are trying to educate people about the different provinces.



pkondz said:


> Okay... without looking at what followed, this was my order:
> Very difficult choice between the mimosa and the Caesar. Like both.
> It would depend on the time, and how I felt, I think. Early enough and I want OJ, so the mimosa would've won.
> Bit later and the Caesar wins.
> Deviled eggs. Love those.
> Eggs Benedict. Can't _not_ order those.
> Crème Brulee.



Looks like you and Fran are in sync.



pkondz said:


> Glad you liked it enough to order it.



I'm a fan of Bloody Marys so it follows suit. Had you not made one for me, I may have mustered up the courage to try it on this occasion.



pkondz said:


> Fran is smart.



I've generally said that... 



pkondz said:


> I just can't do it. I _know_ it's not just regular ground beef, but... I find the smell off-putting.



Huh. I never noticed a smell. For a long time was afraid to try it, but then a certain restaurant offered it as one of the courses on the menu, so I gave it a try. Ever since then, I've been hooked. I think that was around 2015.



pkondz said:


> Whoa! I stopped reading when I saw Bennies, but... I think I'll order that instead!



I was debating about what to order, I was actually torn between the Corned Beef Hash and this one. However since I started with beef, I gave myself a pass on protein and went with the sweeter choice. It was _really_ good!



pkondz said:


> Fran is smart.







pkondz said:


> Fran is...
> 
> I think you get the picture.



 



pkondz said:


> I can see how that would appeal to you.



She saw it the other day at Epcot, but I told her to think about it before buying.



pkondz said:


> Oy. I can feel my shins getting destroyed from over here.



The rest of his party was giving him a wide latitude. 



pkondz said:


> You didn't say where you were (or at least I didn't see it), but figured it out as Jaleo, yes?



Yes, it was. I guess I didn't say that. Perhaps I should edit the post.



pkondz said:


> Then why go to the trouble of making a nice presentation in the first place?
> 
> Careless. Or not well trained.



I'm going with careless.



pkondz said:


> I _knew_ that was going to happen.



Had he not jumped the gun, I might have ordered two orders, one regular and one special. 



pkondz said:


> That's... abysmal presentation. I mean... awful.



I don't know if they were just that busy or our server was a putz.



pkondz said:


> You're batting 1,000 here...







pkondz said:


> Okay... Those look pretty neat.



She really liked them.



pkondz said:


> You know... While I _rarely_ wait for busses... I'm okay with 20 minutes. That's what they advertise, so if that's what I get... that's what they promised.



The only times we have long waits are when there are people in scooters ahead of us in line.



pkondz said:


> Holy cow! What a feast!



I love steakhouse leftovers!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I googled butcher shops near me, and some of them that came up were just Carnecerias and at #8 Stater Bros, my market came up. I think your people are much more discerning.


Oh, we have far more than just 4. Those are the ones I could think of off the top of my head.
Either we're more discerning, or the selection isn't that great at the supermarkets. (The latter.)


franandaj said:


> Did I tell this group that our doctor did an exorcism on the building? Got rid of all kinds of bad ju ju.


No! when was that? And why? I mean... how did the determination come about that there was "bad ju ju" there?


franandaj said:


> I'm trying to keep up, but Fran isn't allowing me a lot of computer screen time.


Oh, I get this.


franandaj said:


> None of our cars have back seats! They're all flattened down so we can fit maximum crap in the back.


With all your packages, I get this!


franandaj said:


> I had mentioned several different people who were interested. This was a family who relocated from up north.


Ah, okay. I think the one you mentioned to me was a son who's mother was coming later from... Colorado?


franandaj said:


> Are these Canadian home improvement shows? Fran has watched quite a few of them over the years. She fancies herself someone that can do these things.....read: she tells me how to do it...


Yes. Holmes on Holmes.
In 2010 Readers Digest did an article on the most trusted Canadians. Mike Holmes came in 2nd!


franandaj said:


> And remember we aren't rope drop kinda folks. We're stay in bed watching TV, play on our phones type of people.





franandaj said:


> I wonder if this is new and they are trying to educate people about the different provinces.


No idea. I just don't want to sit in Saskatchewan. "Welcome to the most boring and flattest part of the restaurant."


franandaj said:


> Looks like you and Fran are in sync.





franandaj said:


> I'm a fan of Bloody Marys so it follows suit. Had you not made one for me, I may have mustered up the courage to try it on this occasion.


Glad I did that for you. 


franandaj said:


> Huh. I never noticed a smell. For a long time was afraid to try it, but then a certain restaurant offered it as one of the courses on the menu, so I gave it a try. Ever since then, I've been hooked. I think that was around 2015.


Maybe someday I'll get up the nerve...


franandaj said:


> The rest of his party was giving him a wide latitude.


I bet!


franandaj said:


> I don't know if they were just that busy or our server was a putz.


Hmmm... I can see the server just scooping some out onto a plate. It looks that way.


franandaj said:


> The only times we have long waits are when there are people in scooters ahead of us in line.


Well... I only have long waits when there are people ahead of me in line, too.


----------



## chunkymonkey

Playing quarantine catch up again!



franandaj said:


> So catching up on my second update. I asked if anyone understood Fran’s reference to the entrance to Topolino’s “being just like the Fantasy.” Most of you responding had not been on a Disney Cruise so you had no idea, but Su-Lynn aka @chunkymonkey got it! When you are on the Fantasy (and Dream), there are two fancy restaurants at the back of the ship. When you take the aft elevator to Deck 11 there are only three places to go and they are all either restaurants or bars. Well, I suppose there is a fourth option which is you could take the stairs down.


LOL I didn't even get a notification that you tagged me, so weird I don't get notified from the DVC TR board. But I miss cruising so much and am so sad our Hawaii cruise is a no-go. Not even sure when they are going back to Hawaii.



franandaj said:


> We realized that with all this tidyness that they think we are staying on cash and that’s why we are getting daily service. OK, I won’t tell them otherwise.


Oooh your little secret LOL.



franandaj said:


> After we settled up the check, Fran and I took off. It was 9:35 and I didnt want to chance missing the skyliner. The regular line was HUGE! But it looked like it moved pretty quickly. We were taken aside and directed to another queue. You see for guests in wheelchairs or scooters they have a special boarding area at all the stations except the Riviera. The HA cars (which are actually no different than the others, but those cars have chocks to put behind the wheels to brace the scooter), these cars come off the regular line and actually stop to let folks board. This line was much much shorter. We only had 3 cars of people in front of us, but since the HA cars are every 10th car or so, we did wait a little bit. We made it just in time though, because once we were in line, about six more parties with scooters pulled in behind us.


Ah I see how it can create bottlenecks for those in scooters and wheelchairs. The regular line can get super long though at night! During the day I didn't see as many as evening.


franandaj said:


> We headed to the Skyliner and discovered that being the second stop on the boarding process, can make finding an empty car difficult. Fran got a car right away, but I had to wait until the second HA car came around until I could go. The able bodied folks were just as much out of luck as nearly every car that came over from CBR was already filled.


True, CBR is the "hub" and cars will fill up there first. But funny, every time we passed the Riviera we barely saw any people getting on. Maybe it was just timing...


franandaj said:


>


I love your tank top!


franandaj said:


> This Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake was the best of the three. However I ended up putting it back together to eat it.


I think that's what you're supposed to do! I had this last year and to me it was like a chip n dip platter, and the cheesecake part was the dip, and you topped it with a strawberry, lol


franandaj said:


> I did not like this almond cake at all, and after one bite gave up. Fran didn't care for it much either and Michael was the one who ended up finishing it off.



Agreed. I was not a fan overall. It was too dense although it looks really pretty and must have been complex to put together. The first few bites were ok but then it got to be too much.


franandaj said:


> This Pop't Art was just OK and we took half of it back with us.


I had this too and way too sweet for me.


franandaj said:


> I had done this every day for almost a week after the ride opened and felt like I had a decent handle on how the process worked.


Wow you did your homework! But I guess it paid off with group 10!!


franandaj said:


> I said that I would cancel it as long as I could have the bread pudding, so now I could cancel it. Even better, we found out that you can now get the noodles, potstickers and chicken wings from 'Ohana at the bar. So now we have a "thing". If there is a wait for Trader Sam's, we will come up to the Tambu Lounge, get some drinks and some appetizers, go to Sam's, have more drinks and appetizers, and come back for dessert. We'll call it the "Polynesian dinner!"


Good idea!


franandaj said:


> While we have been hunkered down, in all my spare time  I’ve been working on my online cookbook. Well there will also be a printed version, but they are being produced in tandem. If you’re interested in checking it out you will find it at http://www.longproperties.biz/cookbook.html It’s about halfway done, I still have several categories to add, and a few more recipes to the existing ones.


Oooh I wanted your recipe for chicken vesuvio which I saw you posted on FB but your link doesn't work right now!


franandaj said:


> We got showered and dressed and finally left the room at 10:30 just as planned. We decided that trying to get on RotR was way too much work. We didn't want to have to get up that early again this trip. The whole hassle of needing to get a taxi, it was only $15, but we didn't need another day of that kind of stress this trip. Besides we were planning on doing it again at home in two weeks and then again in another week.


Oh I'd definitely skip it for you guys, it's so much more practical to go in DLR, you don't have to worry about commuting to the park so early when there isn't any park transport that early to begin with!!
Steve wants to take a trip to Cali in early Dec for a long time to visit his mom. I hope we can travel safely then. If we can, we'll definitely be planning a trip to DLR!!


franandaj said:


> They took our drink orders and Fran got the mimosa and Thanks to @pkondz I knew that the Bloody Caesar was the drink to order! She got the Mimosa.


I got this too, yum! I even ordered a case of Clamato from amazon after the trip to recreate Bloody Caesars!


franandaj said:


> I got the Steak Tartare. I couldn't even finish the portion, but it was so tasty!


Man, this looks good I should have gotten this, I got the avocado toast and it was a tiny portion.


franandaj said:


> Fran got the eggs Benedict with beef striploin. She ate all of it and even some of mine, but we ended up taking part of mine home.


Fran's entree looked better than our Montreal corned beef hash, it was waaaay too salty!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> I have no one to help with the chores for potentially the next 18 months or whenever this whole thing blows over. That means I am doing all the cleaning she used to do, in addition to all the other household tasks she used to help with like laundry, dishes and other things.



That sounds...exhausting.



franandaj said:


> A bit of good news is that we finally rented our old place. It had been sitting vacant since the beginning of September. And this time I think the family who rented it will be staying for a while. At least I hope so.



Yay!  Hope they stick around.



franandaj said:


> While we have been hunkered down, in all my spare time  I’ve been working on my online cookbook. Well there will also be a printed version, but they are being produced in tandem. If you’re interested in checking it out you will find it at http://www.longproperties.biz/cookbook.html It’s about halfway done, I still have several categories to add, and a few more recipes to the existing ones.



Cool, I'll check it out!



franandaj said:


> We decided that trying to get on RotR was way too much work. We didn't want to have to get up that early again this trip.



That does seem like a lot of work.  Is the process any better at Disneyland?



franandaj said:


> Nothing eventful happened. No cranky trips to guest relations to complain about security, we were in the park half an hour early for our reservation.



Boring.



franandaj said:


> We got the cheese soup as an extra cause neither of us can resist that.



I could make a meal out of that soup and the pretzel bread.



franandaj said:


> It was hot and crowded so we headed directly out of the park. We had never planned on sticking around. We hate weekends in the parks. They are just so crowded.



Over the last few years, it's been much harder to find a time when the parks are not crowded.

Well, besides right now, I mean.



franandaj said:


> They stopped him at the top of the ramp, and luckily they let Fran and I go before him. But I noticed him trying to turn around. He didn't have any clue how to turn his scooter down to a lower setting and he was zipping around bumping into the railings and everything else. Definitely someone you need to avoid in the parks.



Sounds like a broken ankle waiting to happen.



franandaj said:


> I started getting her up at 5:30PM, but she moved so slowly we didn't get out the door until 6:30 and ended up being late for our dinner reservation. It wasn't a big deal and they seated us right away, but we did not have the lovely dinner experience that we had the last time we were here.



I'm sorry, where is this?  From the menu it looks like maybe Jaleo?



franandaj said:


> A far cry from this that we had last fall.



Wow, that is a big difference.  That latest photo is kind of sad.



franandaj said:


> Evidently they added beets to the recipe.



Why?

Beets have never improved anything.  They're like raisins that way.



franandaj said:


> I was still hungry after that so I fixed myself up this little plate of leftovers from the Yachtsman.



That looks much better than the dinner you had!  Sorry about that.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Yay for an easy trip.
> I have early memories of the skyliner that went through the Matterhorn.



I think that one was called the Skyway, but yes, I remember it too!



DnA2010 said:


> Did they ask you to speak french



  Good one!



DnA2010 said:


> Yummm! That's a good looking menu!



I was looking forward to it for months. We booked it the day they announced it.



DnA2010 said:


> Dorian is a huge ceasar fan!



They're starting to grow on me!



DnA2010 said:


> This is more up my alley



I've never been a fan. I either want champagne or OJ, but not so much mixed.



DnA2010 said:


> I'd prob skip this...I like maple, but it's not my fav...



Maple is not my favorite either but everyone seems to think it is the representative flavor of Canada.



DnA2010 said:


> I'd much rather have this!



I was so glad they could add this as a bonus. I think I should make this next month.



DnA2010 said:


> That's a decent serving!



If I ate deviled eggs, that would be my entire brunch!



DnA2010 said:


> Dannng that looks sooo good!



It was, but so much food.



DnA2010 said:


> And sooo does this! I don't know how I would decide, as Dorian wouldn't want to share much of this beauty



Fran offered, but I was already getting so full.



DnA2010 said:


> Maple again!



Like I said, we seem to think Maple is the representative flavor of Canada.



DnA2010 said:


> Yumm, espresso chocolate mousse! Perfect! Chocolate and coffee, two of my favs!



The mousse was very good, but so rich!



DnA2010 said:


> Gin drink? Love their tonics



Yes, I have been venturing out and trying gin a little more often.



DnA2010 said:


> Pretty mehh hey! Your other meal looked like it was a lot better.



Yes it definitely was.



DnA2010 said:


> I JUST found out we have a new french pastry shop that does macaroons..will have to check it out!



I would avoid them if they did macaroons,  but if they made macarons, that a whole different game!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I would avoid them if they did macaroons, but if they made macarons, that a whole different game!


----------



## cmrdgrs

Late to the party -- Subscribing


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Your brunch looked amazing!



Thanks! It was!



tiggrbaby said:


> Sorry the dinner ended up so disappointing!



Again thanks.

I think you pretty much summed it up!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> There are so many accidents with these things. I think a lot of folks that don't normally use them suddenly do because of the huge amounts of walking needed. But that is going to set the scene for loads of unsafe stuff to happen. Unfortunately it gives a bad rap to everyone using one.



Yeah, there are a lot of people who get them because they're either lazy or think it will be fun. Those are the ones going too fast in crowds or riding around with toddlers on their laps. Most people who really need them are careful and thoughtful, but there are the ones who are just clueless as well.



Steppesister said:


> Oh no!! But the brunch sure looked amazing! The food looked really good, especially the eggs. I LOVE deviled eggs AND Eggs Benedict. Mmm!!!



The brunch was definitely amazing. I would do that again in a heartbeat.



Steppesister said:


> Well, that's just dumb. Bummer the presentation was lost.



I was less than disappointed.


----------



## missjackiemcg

Hi, Alison! I've finally found my way to reading one of your TRs after seeing you comment on many of the ones I've read!

I'm late to the party for sure, but I wanted to tell you, you're a genius on the newly discovered "Polynesian dinner!"  The best parts of the 'Ohana dinner are the potstickers and noodles and bread pudding, which I had no idea you could get at the Tambu Lounge!!  I am now fully invested in your plan  

Looking forward to reading more about your $6,688 trip LOL


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> I've never been a fan. I either want champagne or OJ, but not so much mixed.


The couple of times I've been in this situation, I ask for just the bubbles, I'd rather the OJ not mess with it too. 



franandaj said:


> Maple is not my favorite either but everyone seems to think it is the representative flavor of Canada.


I agree with you there- although I like maple, I don't LOVE maple



franandaj said:


> I was so glad they could add this as a bonus. I think I should make this next month.


Do you make a version similar or do you have their actual recipe? 


franandaj said:


> If I ate deviled eggs, that would be my entire brunch!


I agree on both fronts.



franandaj said:


> Yes, I have been venturing out and trying gin a little more often.


Whenever we can have drinks again, one of them will  have to be gin



franandaj said:


> I would avoid them if they did macaroons, but if they made macarons, that a whole different game!


ohhh yes, I agree! Not a huge fan of those coconut jobs either...


----------



## franandaj

cruisehopeful said:


> The whole meal sounds like a disappointment. I suppose that if you hadn't had your previous meal, you wouldn't have known the difference and maybe it would have been a better experience, but I feel let down just from looking at the pictures of this time and last time.



It really was a disappointment.  We're not eager to go back now.  And not knowing when we will go back, it's hard to think about as well.



cruisehopeful said:


> That breakfast looked awesome, though! I feel like that's the kind of meal I'd have in a Palo brunch and then I'd be full through dinner and get hungry and some random time much later.



That's pretty much what happened.  It was 7:00 or later by the time we were finally eating dinner so it was definitely later.



cruisehopeful said:


> I'm glad to hear that you've still been busy with life. I know it's probably more work than what you want right now, but it's probably helping keep your mind off of all of this shelter in place.



Yeah, still tons to do, if it's not eBay, it's the apartments.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Yeah, there are a lot of people who get them because they're either lazy or think it will be fun. Those are the ones going too fast in crowds or riding around with toddlers on their laps. Most people who really need them are careful and thoughtful, but there are the ones who are just clueless as well.



That should actually be against the rules IMHO. Toddlers don't belong on one of those when they should be trying to watch and drive their scooter! 



franandaj said:


> The brunch was definitely amazing. I would do that again in a heartbeat.



I don't know if my heart could be tugged away from Cali Grill Brunch, but... I'd try this one.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Oh, we have far more than just 4. Those are the ones I could think of off the top of my head.
> Either we're more discerning, or the selection isn't that great at the supermarkets. (The latter.)



Our supermarkets have surprisingly good meat. Well, when the meat plants are not shut down due to viruses....



pkondz said:


> No! when was that? And why? I mean... how did the determination come about that there was "bad ju ju" there?



Well, the last three tenants (four now) in apartment #2 (and #1) have stayed a year or less. I had decided that I wanted to do an exorcism or something before we rented it last June,  but that didn't happen. At the end of January I decided we needed to do something, and then I remembered that our doctor had gotten into all this weird spiritual stuff, so I called her up and explained the situation.

Immediately she said, "Yes, there us a curse on it." So we set up an appointment for her to come out and she went through all the units with a burning piece of wood (she said she likes the smell better than sage). She did all these cleansing "spells", for lack of a better word.

A couple years back we had a single guy who rented #3. His sister and someone's GF moved in with him, and loud fighting arguments ensued. This is also a violation of the rental agreement. The neighbor clued us in to the fighting and one day we caught them in the act. Fran suggested they find another place to live. 

We determined that Apt 4 was largely uncursed because we believed that the sister liked the residents there, but the other three had bad energy. And in #3 she found a lot of negative energy, presumably left by the fighting residents.

So hopefully the tenants in #1 stick around, and we get someone good in #2. Interestingly enough, #3 has always had financial difficulties since moving in. We took a chance on a Veteran's program, and have regretted it. However he has mostly kept up by splitting his rent payments in half. This past month was the first that he paid it in one sum at the beginning of the month. Who knows if the cleansing helped his financial situation as well?



pkondz said:


> Oh, I get this.



 



pkondz said:


> With all your packages, I get this!



We are still plugging away at the garages at De Soto, and two of our three cars are packed with boxes floor to ceiling.



pkondz said:


> Ah, okay. I think the one you mentioned to me was a son who's mother was coming later from... Colorado?



Ah, yes. That was Washington. And nope they dried up and disappeared.  Poof!  I was afraid that the second group did as well. The husband toured the place, they were relocating from the Bay Area. About a week after the process was initiated I was afraid that they had disappeared too. Out of the blue the wife calls me, she was polite, but was basically like, "What's up? I submitted stuff last week?"

I explained that I had not heard back from her husband to set up an appointment to take their application. And SNAP! Within about an hour on hanging up the phone with her, I had an appointment with him for two days lafter. It was at that point I knew who wore the pants in that family.



pkondz said:


> Yes. Holmes on Holmes.
> In 2010 Readers Digest did an article on the most trusted Canadians. Mike Holmes came in 2nd!



Don't you mean Holmes on Homes? And we've watched that one.



pkondz said:


> No idea. I just don't want to sit in Saskatchewan. "Welcome to the most boring and flattest part of the restaurant."



 



pkondz said:


> Glad I did that for you.



 



pkondz said:


> Maybe someday I'll get up the nerve...



If we were dining together, I would give you a taste.  



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... I can see the server just scooping some out onto a plate. It looks that way.



It was sad.



pkondz said:


> Well... I only have long waits when there are people ahead of me in line, too.



Well if its just people, we go to the front. We have to wait only if there are scooters in front of us.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Our supermarkets have surprisingly good meat. Well, when the meat plants are not shut down due to viruses....


Ours are quite good too, but for _really_ good cuts... go to a butcher. Most don't.


franandaj said:


> Well, the last three tenants (four now) in apartment #2 (and #1) have stayed a year or less. I had decided that I wanted to do an exorcism or something before we rented it last June, but that didn't happen. At the end of January I decided we needed to do something, and then I remembered that our doctor had gotten into all this weird spiritual stuff, so I called her up and explained the situation.
> 
> Immediately she said, "Yes, there us a curse on it." So we set up an appointment for her to come out and she went through all the units with a burning piece of wood (she said she likes the smell better than sage). She did all these cleansing "spells", for lack of a better word.
> 
> A couple years back we had a single guy who rented #3. His sister and someone's GF moved in with him, and loud fighting arguments ensued. This is also a violation of the rental agreement. The neighbor clued us in to the fighting and one day we caught them in the act. Fran suggested they find another place to live.
> 
> We determined that Apt 4 was largely uncursed because we believed that the sister liked the residents there, but the other three had bad energy. And in #3 she found a lot of negative energy, presumably left by the fighting residents.


So did she cleanse #4 anyways, as well? What did the "cleansing "spells"" look like? Chanting? Just motions?


franandaj said:


> So hopefully the tenants in #1 stick around, and we get someone good in #2. Interestingly enough, #3 has always had financial difficulties since moving in. We took a chance on a Veteran's program, and have regretted it. However he has mostly kept up by splitting his rent payments in half. This past month was the first that he paid it in one sum at the beginning of the month. Who knows if the cleansing helped his financial situation as well?


Perhaps it did! Obviously didn't hurt!


franandaj said:


> We are still plugging away at the garages at De Soto, and two of our three cars are packed with boxes floor to ceiling.


Holy smokes!


franandaj said:


> Ah, yes. That was Washington. And nope they dried up and disappeared. Poof!


Ah. I'm familiar with the breed.


franandaj said:


> I was afraid that the second group did as well. The husband toured the place, they were relocating from the Bay Area. About a week after the process was initiated I was afraid that they had disappeared too. Out of the blue the wife calls me, she was polite, but was basically like, "What's up? I submitted stuff last week?"


 I can just imagine the conversation at their place after that!


franandaj said:


> I explained that I had not heard back from her husband to set up an appointment to take their application. And SNAP! Within about an hour on hanging up the phone with her, I had an appointment with him for two days lafter. It was at that point I knew who wore the pants in that family.





franandaj said:


> Don't you mean Holmes on Homes? And we've watched that one.


Yes! Sorry about the typo.


franandaj said:


> If we were dining together, I would give you a taste.


I'd accept it! I may not order something in particular, because I don't want to be stuck with a dish that I am not enjoying (As opposed to when it's the chef's fault, when I feel that it's acceptable to send it back. i.e. My fault vs their fault.) but _will_ try new things.


franandaj said:


> Well if its just people, we go to the front. We have to wait only if there are scooters in front of us.


 I have to wait only if there are scooters _behind_ me.

We'd make a great team. I'll go and get my usual zero wait and then board first with you guys. Win/win!


----------



## franandaj

chunkymonkey said:


> Playing quarantine catch up again!



I hear ya!



chunkymonkey said:


> LOL I didn't even get a notification that you tagged me, so weird I don't get notified from the DVC TR board. But I miss cruising so much and am so sad our Hawaii cruise is a no-go. Not even sure when they are going back to Hawaii.



I miss cruising too, and now we have no plans for another cruise. We rescheduled at first but when they actually canceled our cruise we needed the money pretty badly, so we took the credit on our card.



chunkymonkey said:


> Oooh your little secret LOL.







chunkymonkey said:


> Ah I see how it can create bottlenecks for those in scooters and wheelchairs. The regular line can get super long though at night! During the day I didn't see as many as evening.



Well everyone is trying to get home at park closing. We made it just in time that night before the rush.



chunkymonkey said:


> True, CBR is the "hub" and cars will fill up there first. But funny, every time we passed the Riviera we barely saw any people getting on. Maybe it was just timing...



I never saw any lines at any of the skyliner stations except that one night going home from the steakhouse. Then again it was broken down one of the nights we planned to use it.



chunkymonkey said:


> I love your tank top



Thanks! Its so fun. I can't wait to wear it again where people would "get it".



chunkymonkey said:


> I think that's what you're supposed to do! I had this last year and to me it was like a chip n dip platter, and the cheesecake part was the dip, and you topped it with a strawberry, lol



Sounds about right.



chunkymonkey said:


> Agreed. I was not a fan overall. It was too dense although it looks really pretty and must have been complex to put together. The first few bites were ok but then it got to be too much.



Yeah, I had a bite or two before I decided that I didn't really care for it.



chunkymonkey said:


> I had this too and way too sweet for me.



I just thought it didn't have a lot of flavor, honestly I'd rather just have a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart.



chunkymonkey said:


> Wow you did your homework! But I guess it paid off with group 10!!



Yeah, not so much in future attempts but it all worked out.



chunkymonkey said:


> Good idea!



I so wish that I could be planning a Polynesian dinner right now.... ((((Sigh))))



chunkymonkey said:


> Oooh I wanted your recipe for chicken vesuvio which I saw you posted on FB but your link doesn't work right now!



I'm glad you were able to make it and liked it!



chunkymonkey said:


> Oh I'd definitely skip it for you guys, it's so much more practical to go in DLR, you don't have to worry about commuting to the park so early when there isn't any park transport that early to begin with!!
> Steve wants to take a trip to Cali in early Dec for a long time to visit his mom. I hope we can travel safely then. If we can, we'll definitely be planning a trip to DLR!!



I doubt it will be open by then, but we can always dream!



chunkymonkey said:


> I got this too, yum! I even ordered a case of Clamato from amazon after the trip to recreate Bloody Caesars!



I try not to keep cocktail ingredients at home. It would make for a lot of unproductiveness.



chunkymonkey said:


> Man, this looks good I should have gotten this, I got the avocado toast and it was a tiny portion.



If you like deviled eggs, I'd say it was a good deal.



chunkymonkey said:


> Fran's entree looked better than our Montreal corned beef hash, it was waaaay too salty!



Well I'm glad to hear I chose well! It was between the French toast or the has for me.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> That sounds...exhausting.



It is. The house is still a mess and I'm tired.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yay! Hope they stick around.



Me too. Vacancies are  pain.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Cool, I'll check it out!



Find anything good?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That does seem like a lot of work. Is the process any better at Disneyland?



No, it's actually even more brutal.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Boring.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> I could make a meal out of that soup and the pretzel bread.



  I should put that soup on the menu rotation. 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Over the last few years, it's been much harder to find a time when the parks are not crowded.
> 
> Well, besides right now, I mean.



Yeah, pretty much. But at least weekdays are better than weekends.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sounds like a broken ankle waiting to happen.



Either that or knee caps.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm sorry, where is this? From the menu it looks like maybe Jaleo?



Yes, I forgot to mention the name. I guess I didn't want to shame them too badly. 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow, that is a big difference. That latest photo is kind of sad.



Yeah, it was.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Why?
> 
> Beets have never improved anything. They're like raisins that way.



I wholeheartedly agree with this!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That looks much better than the dinner you had! Sorry about that.



It was better, glad I had such yummy leftovers.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


>



 



cmrdgrs said:


> Late to the party -- Subscribing



 



missjackiemcg said:


> Hi, Alison! I've finally found my way to reading one of your TRs after seeing you comment on many of the ones I've read!



 

I'm glad you're joining in on the fun! There's still more to come!



missjackiemcg said:


> I'm late to the party for sure, but I wanted to tell you, you're a genius on the newly discovered "Polynesian dinner!" The best parts of the 'Ohana dinner are the potstickers and noodles and bread pudding, which I had no idea you could get at the Tambu Lounge!! I am now fully invested in your plan



I think it was new when we were there that the noodles and potstickers were available, but the bread pudding was available there for a while. Boy would I love some of those right now!



missjackiemcg said:


> Looking forward to reading more about your $6,688 trip LOL



We still have a few days left!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> The couple of times I've been in this situation, I ask for just the bubbles, I'd rather the OJ not mess with it too.



I think just bubbles was another option as well as sparkling cider.



DnA2010 said:


> Do you make a version similar or do you have their actual recipe?



I have two different Disney cookbooks with the recipe. I make like a half or third of the recipe cause it makes way more than two of us can eat in even two sittings.



DnA2010 said:


> Whenever we can have drinks again, one of them will have to be gin



We did a "Flight School" at favorite little bar. It was on Prohibition and the two of us got a private session. I had mentioned that I wanted to try more drinks with "good" gin because I had a bad teenage experience with gin, but when I have had good gin, I have enjoyed it. So the bartender brought me three different tastes of gin. I ended up deciding I liked Monkey 47 Gin. I was supposed to go back over the weekend for a Martini made with that, but we never made it there over the weekend, and then, well it closed a week later.  



DnA2010 said:


> ohhh yes, I agree! Not a huge fan of those coconut jobs either...



 I've never actually tried one because of them being coated in coconut.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> That should actually be against the rules IMHO.



Actually it is. Contracts for these scooter places say, one rider only.



Steppesister said:


> Toddlers don't belong on one of those when they should be trying to watch and drive their scooter!



Whenever I see this I realize that the people riding probably don't really need it and are just getting around pushing a stroller in the park.



Steppesister said:


> I don't know if my heart could be tugged away from Cali Grill Brunch, but... I'd try this one.



You could do this one on Saturday and Cali Grill on Sunday. We booked this trip so late Cali Grill brunch spots were long gone.


----------



## Oscar5933

So glad to be enjoying another one of your trip reports. I can't wait to ride the Skyliner and visit the new Riviera resort, it looks really beautiful.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Ours are quite good too, but for _really_ good cuts... go to a butcher. Most don't.



Define _really_ good cuts. 



pkondz said:


> So did she cleanse #4 anyways, as well? What did the "cleansing "spells"" look like? Chanting? Just motions?



She holds a little charm on a chain. Its not so much chanting as is it is more a mantra. I don't quite remember what she says, she also does the same stuff to us. I know its something like, "....balance in the universe. Make it so, it is done..."  There's a bunch of other stuff in there, about earth and light. She usually just mumbles it quickly so hard to understand. 



pkondz said:


> Perhaps it did! Obviously didn't hurt!



And he gave us his rent yesterday with no caveat on hold it until the 10th or something.



pkondz said:


> I can just imagine the conversation at their place after that!



Well they were actually distanced, he was in So Cal and she was in the Bay Area so it was a phone conversation, I'm sure she wasn't pleased.



pkondz said:


> I'd accept it! I may not order something in particular, because I don't want to be stuck with a dish that I am not enjoying (As opposed to when it's the chef's fault, when I feel that it's acceptable to send it back. i.e. My fault vs their fault.) but _will_ try new things.



Thats why I like it when Fran will share cause often she'll finish what I won't. 



pkondz said:


> I have to wait only if there are scooters _behind_ me.



I don't understand.  



pkondz said:


> We'd make a great team. I'll go and get my usual zero wait and then board first with you guys. Win/win!



Sounds like a plan! Let's go now! 

Oh. Wait.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Define _really_ good cuts.


Freshly cut that day vs a week ago in some plant. 
Care given to selection with the ability to chose exactly what you want vs pre-packaged you get what you see.
1/4' steak vs... how thick do you want it?
Far more selection, too.


franandaj said:


> She holds a little charm on a chain. Its not so much chanting as is it is more a mantra. I don't quite remember what she says, she also does the same stuff to us. I know its something like, "....balance in the universe. Make it so, it is done..." There's a bunch of other stuff in there, about earth and light. She usually just mumbles it quickly so hard to understand.


I would've liked to have seen that. 


franandaj said:


> And he gave us his rent yesterday with no caveat on hold it until the 10th or something.


Nice!


franandaj said:


> Well they were actually distanced, he was in So Cal and she was in the Bay Area so it was a phone conversation, I'm sure she wasn't pleased.





franandaj said:


> Thats why I like it when Fran will share cause often she'll finish what I won't.


Perfect. 


franandaj said:


> I don't understand.


I mentioned that you don't have to wait to get on the bus since you're on scooters. You replied that you had to wait if there was a scooter ahead of you. I said I had to wait if there was one behind me.

What I meant is that I get to the bus stop and wait a minute or two for it to arrive. During that time, a scooter shows up. I now have to wait for the scooter that has arrived behind me. See?
I know for you, you have to wait for another bus if there are scooters ahead of you and I _rarely_ do.


franandaj said:


> Sounds like a plan! Let's go now!
> 
> Oh. Wait.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Freshly cut that day vs a week ago in some plant.
> Care given to selection with the ability to chose exactly what you want vs pre-packaged you get what you see.
> 1/4' steak vs... how thick do you want it?
> Far more selection, too.



Ahhh...I get it. I don't know of any grocery stores, meaning large grocery, not like Trader Joe's, that doesn't have some kind of a butcher shop in house.  Most are in the back though and customers don't see them actually cutting the meat, but they do it in the store and then package it up and bring it out to the cases in packages.  

Stater Bros. does all their butchering in an open shop.  I'll have to take a picture next time I shop there. They will do all that you mention above and special order cuts of meat that most places don't normally stock.  Most of our steaks are cut at about 1 inch thick, but I'm sure if you wanted a real thick one they would cut down a prime rib to the size you wanted. Last November when Rib Roasts were on sale, they had them cut into 1 bone, 2 bone and 3 bone roasts in the cases. I'm sure they had tons more in back that they would cut to order.



pkondz said:


> I would've liked to have seen that.



It's interesting, then again she has been doing her voodoo medicine on us for a while now, so we are used to it. Every time we have an office visit she does a cleansing, and sometimes (when Fran is particularly cranky), I ask her to "take a look at her". Since Fran already gave her consent, she can do that remotely. She can't do that for someone who hasn't given her consent.  A lot of times she can clear out negative energy that Fran has picked up along the way.



pkondz said:


> I mentioned that you don't have to wait to get on the bus since you're on scooters. You replied that you had to wait if there was a scooter ahead of you. I said I had to wait if there was one behind me.
> 
> What I meant is that I get to the bus stop and wait a minute or two for it to arrive. During that time, a scooter shows up. I now have to wait for the scooter that has arrived behind me. See?



OK, I was doing a "pkondz" and took you literally, like the scooters were actually behind you in line.  I wanted to point out that there is a special loading area that scooters go to, so they wouldn't be behind you, but you meant "they arrive after me", not they're in line behind you.



pkondz said:


> I know for you, you have to wait for another bus if there are scooters ahead of you and I _rarely_ do.



Neither do the rest of the walking passengers.....they almost always get on the bus.  Fran and I are left sitting there alone, when the bus drives away.


----------



## franandaj

Day 7 

So you remember we were trying to not make a lot of plans on this trip, I did make a few plans, like for this day I had a couple FP at Epcot, however, after discussing matters with Pam and JJ the night before, we scrapped those plans and opted for something completely different.

Their home obligations have made their lives a little more restricted so they wouldn’t be able to come to Orlando until sometime in the afternoon. Fran and I were left on our own for the morning. Normally Fran would say, OK, I’ll sleep until then, but for this day she actually said, “Let’s do rope drop at MK!”  

I was rather astonished, but thought, “Heck! Why not?” So after our late night snacks, and my bath, we went right to sleep.

I woke up as the sun was rising and got these pictures out the window.





Actual view (not zoomed)





We agreed that this morning would be the best for the rest of our trip to have our last hot breakfast in the room. One of the items Pam had brought us was a jar of ground Cinnamon. Usually I have my spice kit with me. That has cinnamon in it, but since I didn't actually plan on cooking anything besides breakfast, I didn't bring that along forgetting that I wanted the cinnamon that was in there. This morning I planned on making French Toast and Bacon. We decided that 7:30 would be a good time for breakfast, and we would try to get to MK for openingish. Not rope drop, but before noon like we usually do.

I woke up just before 7AM and rather than dilly dally on my phone in bed, I got up and dressed and started doing stuff in the kitchen, tidying up, making coffee, cooking bacon, etc. I had to get Fran out of bed before I actually started cooking the French Toast and it was about 8:15 when we finally sat down to eat. 









It didn't take long for us to finish up and get out of the room. I think it was about 8:45. We stopped in the lobby to make sure we weren't going to be charged for the daily Mousekeeping that we were getting, and asked for some replacement MBs, since we never got ours for this stay. Fran had been having trouble fastening her current band and the new one was a big improvement.

It was 8:57 when we got to the bus stop, and the bus pulled up within 5 minutes. Soon we were on our way to MK. 





Our bus driver could have been a Jungle Cruise skipper as he was full of humorous tips for us travelers. 
We were entering MK at 9:30 which I was fairly pleased about. Rarely do we get going this early! While Fran was getting dressed I hopped on the MDE app and was able to snag a FP for Winnie the Pooh at 9:50. Most of the major rides only had afternoon FP left, but we were only going to be here until noonish, so I didn't sweat it. We would be back in two days and that's when I had made FP for the more major rides. Also I don't ride Space and BTMRR in this park. The DL versions are so much superior and I ride those when I like (well I used to be able to), so I don’t have to do those here. We were here to concentrate on the less common rides and those that we can't do at DL or have superior counterparts here.





Obligatory Castle shot. Don’t crowds like this give you the heebie jeebies now?





We went to the Jungle Cruise first. 









The queue was showing a 30 minute wait but they had an HA entrance and they directed us to the side near the exit. We probably waited between 5-10 minutes in the shade before they took us on the boat through the exit so we could ride.





I've either never been on this ride at WDW, or it's been a long long time, but this ride is far superior to the DL version. I don't say that often! 









Obligatory shot of the back side of water





Our skipper was hilarious. He scared off the hippos, not with a gun, but the same way he scared off his ex-girlfriend. He hollered, "I love you!......Would you like to meet my mother?.....We should get a puppy together!"  He kept them going throughout the entire ride. It was quite funny.





By the time we were off the ride it was 10:15 and we were well into our FP. We "strolled" through the shops in Adventureland before heading up to Fantasyland for our Pooh FP.





































And then I finally remembered that we wanted to try a Cheshire Cat Tail.









It was really good! Kind of like a chocolate croissant, but with purple frosting. 

We moseyed on to our next attraction. The Carousel of Progress, it's been years since we've done this one.
We considered doing the People Mover after this, but as we were waiting to get in we noticed the People Mover overhead, stopped, with people on it.





I guess we wouldn't be doing that today.
Let’s all sing, “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow….”





Ah…..the Turn of the Century….the 20th century that is!









*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Posts]*

Does anyone remember the viewfinder?





I love that the pooch never ages!





“Laundry only takes me one day”   ….funny same for me…..

















Anyone grow up with a kitchen like this?





















Now I was a little disappointed with this scene….I thought it was getting an update.









After our spin through the 20th Century. We were a little hungry. We'd be eating a lot later, but we were both a little hungry. We decided to check out the hot dogs at Casey's. I would have liked their Mac n cheese dog but it wasn't available through Mobile Ordering. There was no way I was waiting in the huge line that was somewhat wrapped around the building. So as we sat looking at the sign of what was served I whipped out my phone and mobile ordered us up a regular hot dog with fries. We snagged a high table and I walked inside to where mobile orders are picked up and within a minute we had our food. I slathered it in raw onions, and we cut it in half so we could each put our condiments of choice on top.





Snack complete we drove out through the shops on MS and headed for the bus stop. Our bus mojo was really strong this trip. We weren't even five minutes waiting when a bus pulled up. It was 12:47.
As soon as we were on the road I got a call from a tenant. Now this guy has been rather low maintenance since he and his family moved in. He doesn't normally call. Usually he just texts me things like, "I just put the rent in the box." Or "Have a Merry Christmas", so when I saw a phone call, I knew I should take it. Turns out that a flex line in one of his bathrooms was leaking and they couldn't seem to get the water to turn off.

Luckily we had received a text from our Contractor only half an hour before saying that he had set up an appointment with the gal in the same building who was having problems with her heater. I called him up and told him about the water leak and he said he would be right over there.

Our plan for the afternoon involved Pam and her Mom who had left their house at about 5 mins after 12 and they say it takes 90 minutes to get to Disney from their house. We were back to the resort shortly after 1PM.
They arrived about 15 minutes later. I met them in the lobby and we took the nickel tour of the QS restaurant before going up to the room. We hung out for a little bit while they checked out the room.  While we were in the room, Pam pulled down the bed under the TV and revealed this cute little scene! I didn’t even think to look there!





However, Pamela was starving. She had only drank some orange juice for breakfast, so we headed out to our destination. It was a deja vu from our last visit. Everyone loved the idea of visiting "the chocolate place!" aka Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium.

So we piled into Pamela's new vehicle and headed off to Universal. When we reached our destination we were given a 10-20 minute return time. I took the opportunity to peruse the selections in the cases. Obviously they are seasonal as when we were here in October the treats were spooky themed. Now many were valentine's themed.





















This is the one that I chose to take home.





We were called in 9 minutes and showed to our table. Fran started off with a Chocolate Cherry Mule.I got another one of the Vanilla Chocolate Cocktails that I had last time.





We placed our orders, and shortly after that Jacques and Ms Penelope came by our table. They were hilarious! Jacques kept telling us jokes, but the problem was they all required knowledge of Latin to make them funny and he kept explaining them to us. She was trying to tell him that “It’s not funny if you have to explain it….” And here is looks like she is *itch slapping him.





I forget the first one, but one was about a Roman who walked into a bar and ordered five shots of Rum. He put up a peace sign with his fingers and said, "It's Roman Numeral Five, get it?"









He would try again, this time he somehow got us in on the joke. I'm not sure how the others knew but they said, "Knock, knock"
"Who's there?" He asked.
"You tell me!" Blurted out Fran.
He wholeheartedly congratulated her for being the first person to give him a response. He said that everyone else just sat there dumbfounded and gave him blank stares.





He then told us another Knock Knock joke. I don't remember what it was but it was something ludicrous also rooted in Latin and we all laughed really hard.  At least we know a little bit of Latin.

They took off, and mine and the first item from our order arrived. The Key Lime Pie shake.





Pam ordered the Avocado Bruschetta. Unfortunately there was no mention of a green onion garnish. Pam hates onions and spent half the time doing surgery on her entree to remove the green onions. You can see her in the background of the last picture hard at work removing her green onions.

She gave one piece to Fran and another to JJ, so she only had to clear two pieces of the dreaded green onions. Here are her two pieces after her hard work.




I finally got the two ladies to pose for a picture. I still have to get us all in one!





Jeanette ordered the mushroom flatbread. She shared a piece with Fran and myself and it was absolutely delicious!





Fran and I ordered the Reuben sandwich.





In the end the sandwich was a bad idea. Not that it wasn't good. It was delicious! However, we would have been fine just to eat the handouts from Pam and Jeanette and our French Onion Soup. Which was also just as good as I remembered.





We ended up taking half the sandwich home. We had talked about ordering a sundae for dessert, but both agreed that it would be way too much. Plus I don't do well with Ice Cream. I would probably have fallen asleep on the ride home if we ate that. Instead we went with the chocolate Creme Brulee since it was so highly recommended by JJ.





It had a good flavor, but there really wasn't much Brulee to it. I like a nice crackly top and this one was just kind of slightly crunchy. We still ate all of it.

I got a chocolate Martini to go along with dessert.





Pam got a flourless chocolate cake and strawberry ice cream. She really liked it, but couldn't finish it all. I took at taste and it was very dense and viscous. I would have only been able to eat a couple bites, it was so intense.





Despite our efforts not to overeat, we still did, and ended up waddling our way out of Citywalk. 
We stopped at the outlets. I didn't find anything, but Fran found a Christmas shirt, a long sleeved DCL shirt and a smallish figure of BB8 and R2D2.

Then we went to Publix. I was running out of coffee beans and milk. Fran wanted fresh bread as long as we were at the store, and then they dropped us off at home. I wasn't feeling very good. The garlic shrimp from last nights dinner had been "revisiting" me so to speak. And no, not in the way that @Captain_Oblivious knows Taco Bell, the other end. All the rich food we had just eaten was making my tummy super bloated. I took a couple gerd pills and laid down as the Oscars started. Next thing I know they're on the final three awards, Fran is completely asleep and I'm wondering what I missed. Oh well. I didn't see any of those movies anyways. Maybe on Netflix.
I just went back to sleep. No tub tonight.


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

Yes Chocolate is a much overlooked food group!!!! And everything at Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium looks delicious!!!!

Looks like you had a nice relaxing morning at the MK... Best way to start the day...


----------



## tiggrbaby

Your ride photos are simply fantastic!

What an interesting restaurant!  It's been at least 15 years since I was over in that area.  Doesn't look like I will get there any time soon now...


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Ahhh...I get it. I don't know of any grocery stores, meaning large grocery, not like Trader Joe's, that doesn't have some kind of a butcher shop in house. Most are in the back though and customers don't see them actually cutting the meat, but they do it in the store and then package it up and bring it out to the cases in packages.


I don't see them cutting the meat, either. But I _can _point to, say... a prime rib and ask for some to be cut off for me. Or tell them I want xx lbs of whatever.


franandaj said:


> Stater Bros. does all their butchering in an open shop. I'll have to take a picture next time I shop there. They will do all that you mention above and special order cuts of meat that most places don't normally stock. Most of our steaks are cut at about 1 inch thick, but I'm sure if you wanted a real thick one they would cut down a prime rib to the size you wanted. Last November when Rib Roasts were on sale, they had them cut into 1 bone, 2 bone and 3 bone roasts in the cases. I'm sure they had tons more in back that they would cut to order.


Yeah, not going to see that at a grocery store up here anymore. You may see the butcher area, but... they do little actual butchering now.


franandaj said:


> sometimes (when Fran is particularly cranky), I ask her to "take a look at her".


 I know a few people that could use that!


franandaj said:


> She can't do that for someone who hasn't given her consent.


Darn!


franandaj said:


> OK, I was doing a "pkondz" and took you literally, like the scooters were actually behind you in line. I wanted to point out that there is a special loading area that scooters go to, so they wouldn't be behind you, but you meant "they arrive after me", not they're in line behind you.


Correct.


franandaj said:


> Neither do the rest of the walking passengers.....they almost always get on the bus. Fran and I are left sitting there alone, when the bus drives away.


I know. And I think there should be room for at least 4 scooters on a bus. But I suspect my opinion is in the minority.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I did make a few plans, like for this day I had a couple FP at Epcot, however, after discussing matters with Pam and JJ the night before, we scrapped those plans and opted for something completely different.


That strikes me as funny.
"We made only a few, absolutely must do, plans... then we scrapped them."


franandaj said:


> but for this day she actually said, “Let’s do rope drop at MK!”


Wait... _Fran_ said that????


franandaj said:


> I woke up as the sun was rising and got these pictures out the window.


Nice!


franandaj said:


> Actual view (not zoomed)


Kinda thought so. But thanks for clarifying. 


franandaj said:


> Usually I have my spice kit with me.


In your owners locker? Or...


franandaj said:


> This morning I planned on making French Toast and Bacon.


mmmmm...


franandaj said:


>


Looks great! And real maple syrup. (Thank goodness.)


franandaj said:


> We stopped in the lobby to make sure we weren't going to be charged for the daily Mousekeeping that we were getting,


I don't understand this?


franandaj said:


> the bus pulled up within 5 minutes.


Score! That's more like it.


franandaj said:


> Our bus driver could have been a Jungle Cruise skipper as he was full of humorous tips for us travelers.


 Those aren't all that common anymore, it seems.


franandaj said:


> Also I don't ride Space and BTMRR in this park. The DL versions are so much superior and I ride those when I like


I didn't know that! (about Space)


franandaj said:


> or have superior counterparts here.


Such as? (Other than JC)


franandaj said:


> Don’t crowds like this give you the heebie jeebies now?


Actually... yes. 


franandaj said:


> We probably waited between 5-10 minutes in the shade before they took us on the boat through the exit so we could ride.


Not bad.


franandaj said:


> but this ride is far superior to the DL version.


Huh! I didn't know it'd be "far" superior. Huh!


franandaj said:


> Our skipper was hilarious. He scared off the hippos, not with a gun, but the same way he scared off his ex-girlfriend. He hollered, "I love you!......Would you like to meet my mother?.....We should get a puppy together!"



I've heard the "I love you" part, but not the others.


franandaj said:


> And then I finally remembered that we wanted to try a Cheshire Cat Tail.


I wasn't impressed with it. I think I was expecting something else.


franandaj said:


> We considered doing the People Mover after this, but as we were waiting to get in we noticed the People Mover overhead, stopped, with people on it.


well... poop.


franandaj said:


> Let’s all sing, “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow….”


 


franandaj said:


> Does anyone remember the viewfinder?





franandaj said:


> I love that the pooch never ages!


Oh! Never thought of that... but... yes!


franandaj said:


> “Laundry only takes me one day” ….funny same for me…..


 


franandaj said:


> Anyone grow up with a kitchen like this?


Similar, yes. 


franandaj said:


> Now I was a little disappointed with this scene….I thought it was getting an update.


Oh. I thought it was supposed to, too. Disappointing.


franandaj said:


> I would have liked their Mac n cheese dog but it wasn't available through Mobile Ordering.


I wonder why not? Odd.


franandaj said:


> Our bus mojo was really strong this trip. We weren't even five minutes waiting when a bus pulled up. It was 12:47.


 


franandaj said:


> when I saw a phone call, I knew I should take it. Turns out that a flex line in one of his bathrooms was leaking and they couldn't seem to get the water to turn off.


Yikes! Yeah, that can't wait.


franandaj said:


> While we were in the room, Pam pulled down the bed under the TV and revealed this cute little scene! I didn’t even think to look there!


Awww... I really like that. Great little touch, there.


franandaj said:


> Everyone loved the idea of visiting "the chocolate place!" aka Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium.


Oh! Nice. Just read about that over on Liesa's TR.


franandaj said:


> I took the opportunity to peruse the selections in the cases.


Oh my... drool!


franandaj said:


> We placed our orders, and shortly after that Jacques and Ms Penelope came by our table. They were hilarious! Jacques kept telling us jokes, but the problem was they all required knowledge of Latin to make them funny and he kept explaining them to us. She was trying to tell him that “It’s not funny if you have to explain it….” And here is looks like she is *itch slapping him.





franandaj said:


> I forget the first one, but one was about a Roman who walked into a bar and ordered five shots of Rum. He put up a peace sign with his fingers and said, "It's Roman Numeral Five, get it?"


 


franandaj said:


> He would try again, this time he somehow got us in on the joke. I'm not sure how the others knew but they said, "Knock, knock"
> "Who's there?" He asked.
> "You tell me!" Blurted out Fran.


 
I've done that joke a couple times, too.


franandaj said:


> He wholeheartedly congratulated her for being the first person to give him a response. He said that everyone else just sat there dumbfounded and gave him blank stares.


 Way to go Fran!


franandaj said:


> The Key Lime Pie shake.


mmmm… that sounds wonderful.


franandaj said:


> In the end the sandwich was a bad idea. Not that it wasn't good. It was delicious!


Interesting. Liesa had a different opinion on it. Good, but not _that_ good.


franandaj said:


> our French Onion Soup. Which was also just as good as I remembered.


Love FOS...


----------



## karen4546

Joining in.  I love your pics.  We have only been on the one D Cruise but I get your reference.  We were in 12000 and the back of the ship was easily accessible.  I got lost a couple of times though--- but it is a ship and so how far could i go.
I am a foodie and your food pics are wonderful.  I love the F&W and Flower & Garden (sadly we had to cancel our trip for May 2020) and hopefully will get to participate at the end of September.  We are booked at AKV with a combination of value and can you believe it CL studios.  
You guys are adorable and I love how your partner interjects your postings with her restraint on shopping purchases.  

I am enjoying your TR very much.


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


> I've either never been on this ride at WDW, or it's been a long long time, but this ride is far superior to the DL version. I don't say that often!


I sure do love the Jungle Cruise.  I always take a picture of these boats, ever since the tour we went on when our guide pointed out that the three heads on the boats are meant to resemble Goofy, Donald and Mickey.  When you view them straight on, you can see the resemblance 



franandaj said:


> We moseyed on to our next attraction. The Carousel of Progress, it's been years since we've done this one.


Our family's favorite!  We always have to visit the Carousel of Progress on our trips!  Your pictures came out beautifully.  Mine never do...something with the lighting and my phone's camera do not agree with one another, and I'd hate to be one of "those people" using my flash!



franandaj said:


> Now I was a little disappointed with this scene….I thought it was getting an update.


The final scene is definitely dated.  I'm always hopeful they will give that a little love one of these days.  It wouldn't take much to freshen it up and make it a bit more current.



franandaj said:


>


That really is cute!!!


----------



## DnA2010

First Part:



franandaj said:


> but for this day she actually said, “Let’s do rope drop at MK!”



Wait that doesn't sound like your wife?!



franandaj said:


>


Real maple syrup- nice!



franandaj said:


>



Pretty!



franandaj said:


> Our bus driver could have been a Jungle Cruise skipper as he was full of humorous tips for us travelers.



That's awesome, glad he enjoys his job!



franandaj said:


> FP for Winnie the Pooh at 9:50.



FP for Winnie the Poo? you need FP there?



franandaj said:


> Also I don't ride Space and BTMRR in this park. The DL versions are so much superior and I ride those when I like (well I used to be able to), so I don’t have to do those here.



Space is wayyy better at DL, but I can't remember big thunder, other than I think your loaded inside?



franandaj said:


> but this ride is far superior to the DL version. I don't say that often!



There are some for sure! I didn't realize they weren't the same! Although I wonder if we've even ridden JC in MK



franandaj said:


> but the same way he scared off his ex-girlfriend. He hollered, "I love you!......Would you like to meet my mother?.....We should get a puppy together!"



This guy sounds awesome! Dorian wants to be a skipper as a retirement job



franandaj said:


>



Glad it was good- sometimes I find "outside" chocolate chips taste funny- weird I know



franandaj said:


> Let’s all sing, “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow….”



I will have to look up in DL had this one...I do remember riding it at MK thought!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Actually it is. Contracts for these scooter places say, one rider only.



See? I  mean a toddler riding on a lap just can't end well. 



franandaj said:


> Whenever I see this I realize that the people riding probably don't really need it and are just getting around pushing a stroller in the park.



Pretty much.



franandaj said:


> You could do this one on Saturday and Cali Grill on Sunday. We booked this trip so late Cali Grill brunch spots were long gone.



Hmm, you might be onto something here. 



franandaj said:


> however, after discussing matters with Pam and JJ the night before, we scrapped those plans and opted for something completely different.



And so it begins.....



franandaj said:


> Our bus driver could have been a Jungle Cruise skipper as he was full of humorous tips for us travelers.



I love when I get a driver that actually likes his/her job and makes it fun. 



franandaj said:


> The queue was showing a 30 minute wait but they had an HA entrance and they directed us to the side near the exit. We probably waited between 5-10 minutes in the shade before they took us on the boat through the exit so we could ride.



Score!!!



franandaj said:


> I've either never been on this ride at WDW, or it's been a long long time, but this ride is far superior to the DL version. I don't say that often!



Yes, it is. Probably because they had time to design a better ride improving on the DLR one. 



franandaj said:


> We "strolled"


UH OH!!! WE HAVE ANOTHER "S" word contender for ambulating in Disney! Some Saunter, Some Sashay... Alison STROLLS!!!



franandaj said:


> I would have liked their Mac n cheese dog but it wasn't available through Mobile Ordering.



HUH? Why not?! That's just weird. ? I mean I believe you, just, that seems so random. 



franandaj said:


> Turns out that a flex line in one of his bathrooms was leaking and they couldn't seem to get the water to turn off.



Oh dear. That's bad. 



franandaj said:


> Everyone loved the idea of visiting "the chocolate place!" aka Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium.



It's such a fun place. So glad I went. 



franandaj said:


> Fran started off with a Chocolate Cherry Mule.



A... WHAT?!?! Now, I have to go back.  


franandaj said:


> She was trying to tell him that “It’s not funny if you have to explain it….” And here is looks like she is *itch slapping him.



I sure wish the'd made it up to my table.  



franandaj said:


> I forget the first one, but one was about a Roman who walked into a bar and ordered five shots of Rum. He put up a peace sign with his fingers and said, "It's Roman Numeral Five, get it?"



 



franandaj said:


> Fran and I ordered the Reuben sandwich.



JINX!!! You copied me. (Or, did I copy you? LOL!)



franandaj said:


> Despite our efforts not to overeat, we still did, and ended up waddling our way out of Citywalk.


Hard not to do there!




pkondz said:


> Interesting. Liesa had a different opinion on it. Good, but not _that_ good.


Yes, it was fine, I did like the "secret sauce" which was like all other Reubens - Thousand Island, but you know, it fit the bill and was  nice precursor to my shake.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


>



Booths and wallpaper!

Pumpkin!



franandaj said:


>



Pumpkin again!



franandaj said:


>



And again!



franandaj said:


>



Now it's Christmas 



franandaj said:


> I slathered it in raw onions



My eyes! that's my cilatro right there man..I am not a raw onion person



franandaj said:


> Luckily we had received a text from our Contractor only half an hour before saying that he had set up an appointment with the gal in the same building who was having problems with her heater. I called him up and told him about the water leak and he said he would be right over there.



Lucky indeed! Hope it wasn't a huge fix



franandaj said:


> revealed this cute little scene! I didn’t even think to look there!



Super cute!



franandaj said:


>



I feel like the little signs are switched...the oreo caramel one though! Dannngg!




franandaj said:


> ne that I chose to take home.



How was it? Or is that coming up?




franandaj said:


> Jacques and Ms Penelope came by our table. They were hilarious!



How fun that they do this!



franandaj said:


> The Key Lime Pie shake.



Drooling! I love chocolate but I also love lime things



franandaj said:


> Pam hates onions


Smart girl, although I don't mind green onions that much



franandaj said:


> I like a nice crackly top



Me too



franandaj said:


> I got a chocolate Martini to go along with dessert.



No chocolate drizzle on the inside of the glass?



franandaj said:


> flourless chocolate cake and strawberry ice cream. She really liked it, but couldn't finish it all. I took at taste and it was very dense and viscous. I would have only been able to eat a couple bites, it was so intense.



I think that's a characteristic for flourless chocolate cake- super dense..almost like a soft fudge


----------



## franandaj

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Yes Chocolate is a much overlooked food group!!!! And everything at Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium looks delicious!!!!



I really like that place, it has all kinds of delicious options.  It's a good thing there isn't one at Universal City Walk Hollywood.



NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Looks like you had a nice relaxing morning at the MK... Best way to start the day...



I really miss being able to go the park even if it's just for lunch or shopping.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Your ride photos are simply fantastic!



Thank you.  I literally bought a pretty pricey lens for our DSLR so that I could take dark ride photos.  It allows a larger lens opening so that you can still take fast pictures.  They used to come out pretty blurry with the other standard lens that I use.



tiggrbaby said:


> What an interesting restaurant! It's been at least 15 years since I was over in that area. Doesn't look like I will get there any time soon now...



Doesn't look like anytime soon that any of us will be getting anywhere.  And we just got companion status on Southwest last month.


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

franandaj said:


> I really miss being able to go the park even if it's just for lunch or shopping.



I bet you and Fran are going thru serious withdrawal... Me, I'm lucky if I get to Disney every other year, but you and Fran live so close, not being able to go to your favorite store or favorite restaurant has got to be hard!!! Hopefully things will start opening up soon... I live in Iowa and 77 of the 99 counties are open... But the other 22 are still closed... I live in one of the closed counties...

At least you still can relive your Disney trips writing this TR and I can get my Disney fix by reading it...


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> So you remember we were trying to not make a lot of plans on this trip



Hard to do Disney without plans these days.



franandaj said:


> Normally Fran would say, OK, I’ll sleep until then, but for this day she actually said, “Let’s do rope drop at MK!”







franandaj said:


> Our bus driver could have been a Jungle Cruise skipper as he was full of humorous tips for us travelers.



Nice.  Those are my favorite bus drivers.



franandaj said:


> Also I don't ride Space and BTMRR in this park. The DL versions are so much superior and I ride those when I like (well I used to be able to), so I don’t have to do those here.



I would agree the DL versions are better, but I still wouldn't be able to pass up riding them.



franandaj said:


> Obligatory Castle shot. Don’t crowds like this give you the heebie jeebies now?



I'm just hoping we get back to the days when I get annoyed with crowds just for making the lines longer.



franandaj said:


> I've either never been on this ride at WDW, or it's been a long long time, but this ride is far superior to the DL version. I don't say that often!



 Alison?  Is that you?



franandaj said:


> Our skipper was hilarious. He scared off the hippos, not with a gun, but the same way he scared off his ex-girlfriend. He hollered, "I love you!......Would you like to meet my mother?.....We should get a puppy together!"







franandaj said:


> The Carousel of Progress, it's been years since we've done this one.



Me too. 



franandaj said:


> Everyone loved the idea of visiting "the chocolate place!" aka Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium.



Funny that you and Liesa were writing about it at the same time.



franandaj said:


> And here is looks like she is *itch slapping him.







franandaj said:


> He wholeheartedly congratulated her for being the first person to give him a response. He said that everyone else just sat there dumbfounded and gave him blank stares.



Hey, nice work Fran!



franandaj said:


> Despite our efforts not to overeat, we still did, and ended up waddling our way out of Citywalk.



Hard not to overeat at that place.



franandaj said:


> And no, not in the way that @Captain_Oblivious knows Taco Bell, the other end.



Well, thank goodness for that.



franandaj said:


> I took a couple gerd pills and laid down as the Oscars started. Next thing I know they're on the final three awards, Fran is completely asleep and I'm wondering what I missed. Oh well. I didn't see any of those movies anyways. Maybe on Netflix.



The good movies never win, anyway.  It's always the artsy-fartsy ones that nobody saw.


----------



## Misskitty3

I am very late to this trip report but I am so glad I found it!  Allison, you are an incredible travel writer and have such a gift for capturing everything and describing it that I feel like I am right there with you!  

First, I can't believe your room had a tub and not a shower.  That seem really strange to me.  I guess some guests could use the tub with a bench seat and could slide across?  I am surprised Disney would have HA rooms with a tub as I would guess that wouldn't work for many that need a HA room.

Second, I loved the photos of you and Fran in the Renoir painting.  What a neat photo op! 

Third, I haven't been to WDW since 1991.  After seeing what you had to do go through to ride the Star Wars ride....I don't know if I could do all that or how I would even know how to do all that stuff??? Yikes!  That seems like a lot.... 

Fourth, I am pretty sure you must make the most delicious hotel room breakfasts!  They all look so good!!!!  

Fifth, did you say you haven't been on a road trip since 2016?  Was that your Utah desert trip?  I remember following along and how amazing that trip was.  

Sixth, the brunch (forgetting the name of the place now) with eggs benedict looked amazing!!!!

Seventh, that chocolate restaurant.....oh my!!!!!!!  That is my type of place.  

Lastly, the photo of Fran with the kitties is one of the sweetest pictures I have ever seen.  



I hope all is well with you and Fran and everyone reading this thread.  Hard to believe the stuff we are dealing with these days.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I don't see them cutting the meat, either. But I _can _point to, say... a prime rib and ask for some to be cut off for me. Or tell them I want xx lbs of whatever.



This is Stater Bros. meat area.  To the right (not in the picture) is more room (about double what you see) where they have more people working and cutting stuff.  The guy you can see is cutting down a huge rib roast and making steaks that they'll either put in the cabinet or package up to put out into the store shelves.







pkondz said:


> Yeah, not going to see that at a grocery store up here anymore. You may see the butcher area, but... they do little actual butchering now.



I'm not sure how much actual "butchering" they do.  I'm sure that they don't get whole cows or pigs, I just know that they boast that everyone in the meat department is a trained butcher.



pkondz said:


> I know a few people that could use that!
> Darn!



Yeah, I asked as well.....



pkondz said:


> I know. And I think there should be room for at least 4 scooters on a bus. But I suspect my opinion is in the minority.



I think that would be overkill, unless it is strictly a bus for scooter riders and their guests.



pkondz said:


> That strikes me as funny.
> "We made only a few, absolutely must do, plans... then we scrapped them."



Well, they weren't _must do_ plans.  Although now I regret skipping Mission Space.



pkondz said:


> Wait... _Fran_ said that????



Everyone seems to be surprised by this.....when she goes for a plan, she goes all in.  She's the one who has been getting me up to go to the Senior hours at the grocery store.  That's when I took the above picture last week.  We were at Staters by 7:15 bought a bunch of meat, chicken and bacon on sale as well as all the other produce and stuff on my list.  We dropped off the perishable stuff and made it to Costco, just as they were letting the last of the line of seniors into the store and got (most of) what we needed.



pkondz said:


> Kinda thought so. But thanks for clarifying.



You're welcome.  



pkondz said:


> In your owners locker? Or...



No, I keep the spice kit at home.  And from the look of the ketchup and the smell of some of the other spices.  It seems like I'm going to need to fill new baggies before I take it anywhere again.  It's been a couple years since I used it.  Also the cinnamon baggie was empty.







pkondz said:


> Looks great! And real maple syrup. (Thank goodness.)



Fran insists on it.  We finally tossed that bottle that wasn't real maple on the previous trip.



pkondz said:


> I don't understand this?



When staying on DVC points, you get Trash and Towel service on the 4th day and full cleaning on the 7th.  You can request extra services and the cleaning is like $50 per instance, or something ridiculous like that.  Since we were essentially a "cash" reservation they put us in the category to get mousekeeping every day.  I guess after that wacko in Vegas took out all the folks from his hotel room, now Disney comes into your room every day, but they don't do a full service on DVC rooms.



pkondz said:


> Those aren't all that common anymore, it seems.



It's too bad, cause it made the ride to MK very entertaining.



pkondz said:


> I didn't know that! (about Space)



The last time I rode Space in MK, I wished I could see my Chiropractor.  And my head kept getting jostled around.  I'll put up with it on RnRC cause I like that ride (the head banging), but it's not worth it for me on Space.



pkondz said:


> Such as? (Other than JC)



Well ToT comes to mind....but now that ours is Guardians, it totally rocks!



pkondz said:


> Actually... yes.



We went to a Walmart last week, and that gave me the heebie jeebies too......not going back there if I can help it!



pkondz said:


> Huh! I didn't know it'd be "far" superior. Huh!



Well, it seemed that there were more scenes and funny jokes than I remember on our ride.



pkondz said:


> I've heard the "I love you" part, but not the others.



The puppy one, had me totally LOLing!



pkondz said:


> I wasn't impressed with it. I think I was expecting something else.



I didn't know what I was expecting, all I know is you said there were too many chocolate chips and I certainly didn't agree with that!



pkondz said:


> Oh. I thought it was supposed to, too. Disappointing.



That was half the reason we went on it!



pkondz said:


> I wonder why not? Odd.



Maybe it was a specialty season offering and they hadn't programmed it into the app.



pkondz said:


> Yikes! Yeah, that can't wait.



Good thing the contractor was on the way over, or we would have had to pay triple time for a plumber.



pkondz said:


> Awww... I really like that. Great little touch, there.



I should have looked, because they always have something cute there.



pkondz said:


> Oh! Nice. Just read about that over on Liesa's TR.



Funny how we both posted the same restaurant and ordered the same entree!



pkondz said:


> I've done that joke a couple times, too.
> Way to go Fran!



Sometimes she is one a roll!



pkondz said:


> mmmm… that sounds wonderful.



It was pretty good!  So was the little slice of pie on the top.



pkondz said:


> Interesting. Liesa had a different opinion on it. Good, but not _that_ good.



I saw that, then again, I really like a good Reuben and that one was better than a lot I've had.


----------



## DnA2010

Replies


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> This is Stater Bros. meat area. To the right (not in the picture) is more room (about double what you see) where they have more people working and cutting stuff. The guy you can see is cutting down a huge rib roast and making steaks that they'll either put in the cabinet or package up to put out into the store shelves.


Our grocery store meat departments are that big too, but... they're hardly used now. I'd say... hmmm... 5? 10? years ago, they all just... stopped. Now almost all grocery store meat comes pre-packaged. You'll still see a butcher in some stores, but... they do very little (that I can see).
However the butcher that I go to, _will _have sides of beef, etc. A couple days ago, I needed 1/2lb of tenderloin and when I asked for it, they 1st told me they had it in the back and would just have to cut it, then they showed me a piece and asked if that was okay because it was the narrower end. (It was fine since I was slicing it and not doing a roast.)


franandaj said:


> I'm not sure how much actual "butchering" they do. I'm sure that they don't get whole cows or pigs, I just know that they boast that everyone in the meat department is a trained butcher.


I think (as I mentioned) that the guy who works there is a butcher... just don't know how much actual butchering he does anymore.


franandaj said:


> Yeah, I asked as well.....


 


franandaj said:


> I think that would be overkill, unless it is strictly a bus for scooter riders and their guests.


Well, you would know more about it than I would. I just know I always feel guilty about getting on a bus when I see that someone on a scooter, who was there before I was, is going to be left behind. 
It doesn't happen often, but.. just doesn't seem right to "penalize" someone because they're on a scooter.


franandaj said:


> Well, they weren't _must do_ plans. Although now I regret skipping Mission Space.


Why?


franandaj said:


> Everyone seems to be surprised by this.....when she goes for a plan, she goes all in. She's the one who has been getting me up to go to the Senior hours at the grocery store. That's when I took the above picture last week. We were at Staters by 7:15 bought a bunch of meat, chicken and bacon on sale as well as all the other produce and stuff on my list. We dropped off the perishable stuff and made it to Costco, just as they were letting the last of the line of seniors into the store and got (most of) what we needed.


Well... I guess I've read so many times where you'll say "I tried to get Fran up but she wasn't having it" or similar, that I got the impression that she wasn't an early riser.


franandaj said:


> No, I keep the spice kit at home. And from the look of the ketchup and the smell of some of the other spices. It seems like I'm going to need to fill new baggies before I take it anywhere again. It's been a couple years since I used it. Also the cinnamon baggie was empty.


I need to replace some spices. The ones I use a lot get turned over quickly enough, but... there are a few that have been sitting too long.


franandaj said:


> Fran insists on it. We finally tossed that bottle that wasn't real maple on the previous trip.


Fran is smart!

I wonder how many times I've said that now? 


franandaj said:


> When staying on DVC points, you get Trash and Towel service on the 4th day and full cleaning on the 7th.


Ah! I knew it wasn't every day. When we stayed at OKW (rented points) I did know there wasn't daily service, but I wasn't quite sure what the schedule was.


franandaj said:


> You can request extra services and the cleaning is like $50 per instance, or something ridiculous like that.


Yikes! Nope!


franandaj said:


> Since we were essentially a "cash" reservation they put us in the category to get mousekeeping every day.


Ohhhh...


franandaj said:


> I guess after that wacko in Vegas took out all the folks from his hotel room, now Disney comes into your room every day, but they don't do a full service on DVC rooms.


Is that it? I thought it was to make sure people weren't incapacitated and/or ill (or dead!) and needing assistance.


franandaj said:


> The last time I rode Space in MK, I wished I could see my Chiropractor. And my head kept getting jostled around. I'll put up with it on RnRC cause I like that ride (the head banging), but it's not worth it for me on Space.


I understand that! Last time I went, with Elle, we rope dropped it and _loved_ it!... couldn't wait to go again. Then we rode it a couple hours later with FP and rode the other side and... It was awful. So rough. 
I skip it when I can.


franandaj said:


> Well ToT comes to mind....but now that ours is Guardians, it totally rocks!


Ah yes. I never did see Cali's version of TOT, but you've mentioned that one before.


franandaj said:


> The puppy one, had me totally LOLing!





franandaj said:


> I didn't know what I was expecting, all I know is you said there were too many chocolate chips and I certainly didn't agree with that!


I think... I was expecting something more... cinnamon bun-like, and that's what I had my taste buds set for.
I must admit... saying "too much chocolate" is not something I normally say! Maybe now that I know... I should give it another shot?
But... then again, I _much_ prefer a plain croissant to a chocolate croissant. Maybe it's because I find it too dry? And that's what the cat tail reminds me of?


franandaj said:


> Good thing the contractor was on the way over, or we would have had to pay triple time for a plumber.





franandaj said:


> Funny how we both posted the same restaurant and ordered the same entree!


I know! It was very deja vu. 


franandaj said:


> It was pretty good! So was the little slice of pie on the top.


mmmm… pie...


franandaj said:


> I saw that, then again, I really like a good Reuben and that one was better than a lot I've had.


I'm not a fan of Reubens, so I don't think I'll be ordering it anyways, if and when.


----------



## franandaj

karen4546 said:


> Joining in. I love your pics. We have only been on the one D Cruise but I get your reference. We were in 12000 and the back of the ship was easily accessible. I got lost a couple of times though--- but it is a ship and so how far could i go.







karen4546 said:


> I am a foodie and your food pics are wonderful. I love the F&W and Flower & Garden (sadly we had to cancel our trip for May 2020) and hopefully will get to participate at the end of September. We are booked at AKV with a combination of value and can you believe it CL studios.



Sadly, I have no idea when we are going to get back, even to Disneyland.  I fear that will open much later than Disney World.  Our governor is much stricter.  I'm not faulting him, he is just trying to keep us safe.  There are a lot of people in Southern California and not all of them are smart or safe.



karen4546 said:


> You guys are adorable and I love how your partner interjects your postings with her restraint on shopping purchases.



Thanks!  I need to get her to read the next couple posts and make her comments again.



karen4546 said:


> I am enjoying your TR very much.



Thanks!


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> I sure do love the Jungle Cruise. I always take a picture of these boats, ever since the tour we went on when our guide pointed out that the three heads on the boats are meant to resemble Goofy, Donald and Mickey. When you view them straight on, you can see the resemblance



Thanks for that little factoid!  I can see it!



missjackiemcg said:


> Our family's favorite! We always have to visit the Carousel of Progress on our trips! Your pictures came out beautifully. Mine never do...something with the lighting and my phone's camera do not agree with one another, and I'd hate to be one of "those people" using my flash!



I really like that one too, but we haven't been on it for several years, not sure why.  I've really been working on my dark ride photography over the past couple years, really futzing with the settings on the camera to get it just right.



missjackiemcg said:


> The final scene is definitely dated. I'm always hopeful they will give that a little love one of these days. It wouldn't take much to freshen it up and make it a bit more current.



It wouldn't take a lot to modern it up.  Every scene is date, but that's kind of the point!



missjackiemcg said:


> That really is cute!!!



And I wouldn't have seen it if Pam hadn't pulled the murphy bed down.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Wait that doesn't sound like your wife?!



I told her this yesterday and she said, "Who do they think wakes you up to catch the planes early in the morning?"



DnA2010 said:


> Real maple syrup- nice!



Both the Canadians notice that one.....



DnA2010 said:


> That's awesome, glad he enjoys his job!



He definitely did!



DnA2010 said:


> FP for Winnie the Poo? you need FP there?



Well, the line is shorter if you have FP.  Pretty much everything at WDW has a FP and the lines are longer for most rides because of it.



DnA2010 said:


> Space is wayyy better at DL, but I can't remember big thunder, other than I think your loaded inside?



I just remember riding BTMRR a while ago.  It was after the major rehab at DL, and the MK version was so jarring. In the DL upgrade they made the ride really smooth and fun, I decided I didn't want to waste my back on it.



DnA2010 said:


> There are some for sure! I didn't realize they weren't the same! Although I wonder if we've even ridden JC in MK



I seem to remember more scenes and jokes in the MK one than in DLs.



DnA2010 said:


> This guy sounds awesome! Dorian wants to be a skipper as a retirement job



I bet he would make a good one!



DnA2010 said:


> Glad it was good- sometimes I find "outside" chocolate chips taste funny- weird I know



I thought they tasted just fine.  We both have our food weirdnesses!



DnA2010 said:


> I will have to look up in DL had this one...I do remember riding it at MK thought!



I believe that it was in DL for many years after the World's Fair, then they moved it to WDW so DL could put other stuff in there.  I think it was America Sings!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> See? I mean a toddler riding on a lap just can't end well.



Usually they're standing on the floorboards, but no I imagine not.



Steppesister said:


> Hmm, you might be onto something here.



Why not overeat? You're at WDW!



Steppesister said:


> I love when I get a driver that actually likes his/her job and makes it fun.



It was very entertaining and made the ride go quicker!



Steppesister said:


> Yes, it is. Probably because they had time to design a better ride improving on the DLR one.



And more space. I could've sworn there were more scenes.



Steppesister said:


> UH OH!!! WE HAVE ANOTHER "S" word contender for ambulating in Disney! Some Saunter, Some Sashay... Alison STROLLS!!!



 



Steppesister said:


> HUH? Why not?! That's just weird. ? I mean I believe you, just, that seems so random.



The only thing I could come up with was that it was a seasonal item and they hadn't had a chance to update the app.



Steppesister said:


> Oh dear. That's bad.



Yes, in fact that is the second time a tenant has had a flex line burst while we were at WDW. It was 10 years ago....in February.  Perhaps we shouldn't visit in Feb of years ending in a zero!   At least this one didn't cost $15K.



Steppesister said:


> It's such a fun place. So glad I went.



It is a fun place!



Steppesister said:


> A... WHAT?!?! Now, I have to go back.



She seemed to like it.



Steppesister said:


> I sure wish the'd made it up to my table.



They were a lot of fun!



Steppesister said:


> JINX!!! You copied me. (Or, did I copy you? LOL!)



Well since yours was in September...but I didn't know.



Steppesister said:


> Hard not to do there!







Steppesister said:


> Yes, it was fine, I did like the "secret sauce" which was like all other Reubens - Thousand Island, but you know, it fit the bill and was nice precursor to my shake.



Our shake came first.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Booths and wallpaper!
> 
> Pumpkin!
> 
> 
> Pumpkin again!
> 
> 
> And again!
> 
> 
> Now it's Christmas



The ride goes throughout the year as it changes decades.  The first scene is springtime, the second is 4th of July, the third is Halloween and the last one is Christmas....



DnA2010 said:


> My eyes! that's my cilantro right there man..I am not a raw onion person



  There you go!  I love raw onions on burgers, and dogs, and all sorts of other things.  Although sometimes I prefer red onion.



DnA2010 said:


> Lucky indeed! Hope it wasn't a huge fix



It wasn't complicated, but it took him a bit to get it under control.



DnA2010 said:


> Super cute!







DnA2010 said:


> I feel like the little signs are switched...the oreo caramel one though! Dannngg!



Yeah, I think some one messed up.



DnA2010 said:


> How was it? Or is that coming up?



It was good, nothing spectacular, but we didn't hate eating it.



DnA2010 said:


> How fun that they do this!



They are a hoot!



DnA2010 said:


> Drooling! I love chocolate but I also love lime things



I'm actually more of a citrus person.....



DnA2010 said:


> Smart girl, although I don't mind green onions that much



Again, I love all things onion.



DnA2010 said:


> Me too



The more crackle the better!



DnA2010 said:


> No chocolate drizzle on the inside of the glass?



They sprinkled the top with grated white chocolate.



DnA2010 said:


> I think that's a characteristic for flourless chocolate cake- super dense..almost like a soft fudge



This was was just way more dense than others I've had.  Or maybe I'm thinking of molten center Chocolate cakes.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> There you go! I love raw onions on burgers, and dogs, and all sorts of other things. Although sometimes I prefer red onion.


Speaking burgers and dogs only....
Grilled onions or raw?

My preference changes depending on what I feel like that day.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Usually they're standing on the floorboards, but no I imagine not.



And when they have to stop quickly, I see missing teeth. 



franandaj said:


> Why not overeat? You're at WDW!



That's what vacation is FOR!!!



franandaj said:


> The only thing I could come up with was that it was a seasonal item and they hadn't had a chance to update the app.



Now THAT makes sense!



franandaj said:


> Yes, in fact that is the second time a tenant has had a flex line burst while we were at WDW. It was 10 years ago....in February. Perhaps we shouldn't visit in Feb of years ending in a zero!  At least this one didn't cost $15K.



$15,000?!?! Holy cow!! 



franandaj said:


> Our shake came first.



 Now there's a tasty way to do vacation!


----------



## franandaj

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> I bet you and Fran are going thru serious withdrawal... Me, I'm lucky if I get to Disney every other year, but you and Fran live so close, not being able to go to your favorite store or favorite restaurant has got to be hard!!!



It sure is.  Yesterday there was supposed to be a special event, and we had put it into our phones.  It was sad when the reminders kept popping us and reminding us what we can't do.



NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Hopefully things will start opening up soon... I live in Iowa and 77 of the 99 counties are open... But the other 22 are still closed... I live in one of the closed counties...



We are going to be closed for a while.  LA county is the worst. Orange county is very close and they are going to start opening up EVERYTHING because well, you can't talk politics on the DIS, but since the Governor's orders take precedence over the county's, large gatherings are still not allowed and Disney is certainly a large gathering.  The theme parks are supposed to be phase 4 and I think we are just barely in phase 1.



NancyLuvsMickey said:


> At least you still can relive your Disney trips writing this TR and I can get my Disney fix by reading it...



Yes, if I can find the time to do it!  We've had a lot of eBays, and I thought they tapered off, but just this afternoon we sold a couple more things, and one was a nice expensive thing!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hard to do Disney without plans these days.



Hard to do Disney these days. Period.  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I would agree the DL versions are better, but I still wouldn't be able to pass up riding them.



I don't want to make Fran wait just so my neck can be jostled out of place, and my back.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm just hoping we get back to the days when I get annoyed with crowds just for making the lines longer.



No matter how you slice it, going back is going to be weird.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Alison? Is that you?







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Me too.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Funny that you and Liesa were writing about it at the same time.



That was kind of a weird coincidence.....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, nice work Fran!



Every once in a while, she does nail it!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hard not to overeat at that place.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, thank goodness for that.



  I knew you'd like that one.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> The good movies never win, anyway. It's always the artsy-fartsy ones that nobody saw.



Yeah, I'm not sure I've seen an Oscar nominated movie that wasn't a Disney Cartoon in years....


----------



## franandaj

Misskitty3 said:


> I am very late to this trip report but I am so glad I found it! Allison, you are an incredible travel writer and have such a gift for capturing everything and describing it that I feel like I am right there with you!



    I'm glad you're enjoying the TR!  I hope I can get the next update soon!



Misskitty3 said:


> First, I can't believe your room had a tub and not a shower. That seem really strange to me. I guess some guests could use the tub with a bench seat and could slide across? I am surprised Disney would have HA rooms with a tub as I would guess that wouldn't work for many that need a HA room.



That's not the first time that has happened.  I always request an HA room with a roll-in shower, I just wish they could fulfill that.



Misskitty3 said:


> Second, I loved the photos of you and Fran in the Renoir painting. What a neat photo op!



It was a neat one, I wish we could have done more of them.



Misskitty3 said:


> Third, I haven't been to WDW since 1991. After seeing what you had to do go through to ride the Star Wars ride....I don't know if I could do all that or how I would even know how to do all that stuff??? Yikes! That seems like a lot....



That's a long time since visiting!  If Disney and the ride every come back up again, you can practice getting a boarding group with the app, even if you don't have a ticket, you can only go so far, but you can at least get the feel for what you need to click on and where to start.



Misskitty3 said:


> Fourth, I am pretty sure you must make the most delicious hotel room breakfasts! They all look so good!!!!



Well thank you, I never have time at home to make breakfast!



Misskitty3 said:


> Fifth, did you say you haven't been on a road trip since 2016? Was that your Utah desert trip? I remember following along and how amazing that trip was.



Actually it was 2014 when we did that trip.  I have a feeling our next trip will also be a road trip.



Misskitty3 said:


> Sixth, the brunch (forgetting the name of the place now) with eggs benedict looked amazing!!!!



Le Cellier, it was asmazine.



Misskitty3 said:


> Seventh, that chocolate restaurant.....oh my!!!!!!! That is my type of place.



I don't know if I'm glad glad or not that there isn't one at Citywalk in Universal Studios, Hollywood



Misskitty3 said:


> Lastly, the photo of Fran with the kitties is one of the sweetest pictures I have ever seen.



That's sort of her natural habitat....   



Misskitty3 said:


> I hope all is well with you and Fran and everyone reading this thread. Hard to believe the stuff we are dealing with these days.



Yeah, and I think we have a long way to go, I feel like this is just the beginning.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Replies



I do one reply and you get all excited! It's taken me a week to get back to this one!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Our grocery store meat departments are that big too, but... they're hardly used now. I'd say... hmmm... 5? 10? years ago, they all just... stopped. Now almost all grocery store meat comes pre-packaged. You'll still see a butcher in some stores, but... they do very little (that I can see).



Huh, even the stores where you don't see the butcher area, they still package the meat up there. Well OK, the chicken is prepackaged and so is the ground beef, and some specialty meats like lamb or veal.  But the beef they do in the back.



pkondz said:


> However the butcher that I go to, _will _have sides of beef, etc.



Wow! Color me impressed!



pkondz said:


> A couple days ago, I needed 1/2lb of tenderloin and when I asked for it, they 1st told me they had it in the back and would just have to cut it, then they showed me a piece and asked if that was okay because it was the narrower end. (It was fine since I was slicing it and not doing a roast.)



Huh.  I rarely do a tenderloin, mostly Rib Eyes.



pkondz said:


> I think (as I mentioned) that the guy who works there is a butcher... just don't know how much actual butchering he does anymore.



I can understand that.  Plus people don't cook nearly as creatively as they once did.  You can tell that by what it not left on the store shelves.  For a while there ground beef was a scarce commodoty.



pkondz said:


> Well, you would know more about it than I would. I just know I always feel guilty about getting on a bus when I see that someone on a scooter, who was there before I was, is going to be left behind.
> It doesn't happen often, but.. just doesn't seem right to "penalize" someone because they're on a scooter.



I'm glad some people feel that way.  I have another comment coming up where humanity surprises me once again.



pkondz said:


> Why?



I have no idea when I will get to ride Mission Space again.  I'm hoping that by October 2021 we are back to an "almost" normal, and we can go back, but it's going to be a long time before we fly anywhere. And Fran just got companion status on Southwest.



pkondz said:


> Well... I guess I've read so many times where you'll say "I tried to get Fran up but she wasn't having it" or similar, that I got the impression that she wasn't an early riser.



Well, it's not that she isn't an early riser, she just has to have somewhere to go.  Often times she gets up early, like 4-5AM and she is wide awake. Then she comes back to bed at about 7AM and she can't get up until 11AM.  It's odd.  If she has a goal or something to motivate her, she'll get up and go, and badger me about not moving fast enough.



pkondz said:


> I need to replace some spices. The ones I use a lot get turned over quickly enough, but... there are a few that have been sitting too long.



I threw out a ton of spices when we moved, but that was six years ago.  I replace the commonly used ones as well, but there are some that probably need replacing after quite a few years.



pkondz said:


> Fran is smart!
> 
> I wonder how many times I've said that now?



I don't know, but a lot!



pkondz said:


> Ah! I knew it wasn't every day. When we stayed at OKW (rented points) I did know there wasn't daily service, but I wasn't quite sure what the schedule was.



I am always confused, because I think the fourth day is the fourth full one, but I think they count it from the day you move in.



pkondz said:


> Is that it? I thought it was to make sure people weren't incapacitated and/or ill (or dead!) and needing assistance.



Oh no, that policy was instated after the Vegas massacre.



pkondz said:


> Ah yes. I never did see Cali's version of TOT, but you've mentioned that one before.



I think there are lots of things I've mentioned before.  We have a lot of deja vu.    



pkondz said:


> I think... I was expecting something more... cinnamon bun-like, and that's what I had my taste buds set for.
> I must admit... saying "too much chocolate" is not something I normally say! Maybe now that I know... I should give it another shot?
> But... then again, I _much_ prefer a plain croissant to a chocolate croissant. Maybe it's because I find it too dry? And that's what the cat tail reminds me of?



I just recently started appreciating chocolate croissants.  I didn't care for them previously, but now I'm starting to really like them.



pkondz said:


> I know! It was very deja vu.



Same sandwich and everything.



pkondz said:


> I'm not a fan of Reubens, so I don't think I'll be ordering it anyways, if and when.



I hadn't had corned beef until about 18 years ago, now I'm making up for lost time.



pkondz said:


> Speaking burgers and dogs only....
> Grilled onions or raw?



Mostly raw....I like the sharp taste, however, if I'm having a patty melt, it has to be grilled onions.  Also when I make Bangers and Mash, I have an onion gravy that I put on them, those are also sauteed.  Hmmmm.....two more things to go on the dining rotation.  Next time I rewrite it, I'll have to remember.



pkondz said:


> My preference changes depending on what I feel like that day.



My preference changes with the parameters above.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> And when they have to stop quickly, I see missing teeth.







Steppesister said:


> That's what vacation is FOR!!!



  Don't see any of that coming soon.  I'm finding out that I am unable to overeat at home.  I ordered Shabu Shabu last week and what I can normally eat almost everything, I found myself full before I was even halfway done.  Then again I got another meal out of it the next day.



Steppesister said:


> $15,000?!?! Holy cow!!



Well it turned out that the shower had a case of wet rot that was uncovered when the team came in to clean up the mess.  They had to take out most of the bathroom, all the way down to the joists and replace them.  When the damage happened, the tenant had a pink bathroom, original from the 1950s.  They had to replace the tub and shower once they rebuilt the joists, so she got a pretty tan bathroom instead.  They pretty much ripped us off.  Had we known Gale at that time, he would have done the whole apartment (kitchen too) for just a few thousand more than that.  However, we didn't meet him until about 6-9 months later.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Wow! Color me impressed!


Is that fuchsia? I can't keep track. 


franandaj said:


> Huh. I rarely do a tenderloin, mostly Rib Eyes.


I just did some NY strips the other day. Plus, my meatloaf recipe calls for 1.5lbs of gr. beef. That's almost impossible to get at the grocery store unless I buy a couple of packages and guesstimate it.


franandaj said:


> I'm glad some people feel that way.  I have another comment coming up where humanity surprises me once again.


Standing by!


franandaj said:


> I have no idea when I will get to ride Mission Space again. I'm hoping that by October 2021 we are back to an "almost" normal, and we can go back, but it's going to be a long time before we fly anywhere. And Fran just got companion status on Southwest.


Ah, okay. I thought it was because you couldn't ride anymore because it makes you ill, or it was going down for refurb or something.


franandaj said:


> Well, it's not that she isn't an early riser, she just has to have somewhere to go. Often times she gets up early, like 4-5AM and she is wide awake. Then she comes back to bed at about 7AM and she can't get up until 11AM. It's odd. If she has a goal or something to motivate her, she'll get up and go, and badger me about not moving fast enough.


I'm learning so much about her!  


franandaj said:


> I don't know, but a lot!


 


franandaj said:


> Oh no, that policy was instated after the Vegas massacre.


Oh! I didn't realize that was the connection.


franandaj said:


> I think there are lots of things I've mentioned before. We have a lot of deja vu.





franandaj said:


> I hadn't had corned beef until about 18 years ago, now I'm making up for lost time.


Love corned beef. It's the sauerkraut with it that I don't care for. I like sauerkraut okay, just not too much and not in my corned beef sammie.


franandaj said:


> Mostly raw....I like the sharp taste, however, if I'm having a patty melt, it has to be grilled onions. Also when I make Bangers and Mash, I have an onion gravy that I put on them, those are also sauteed. Hmmmm.....two more things to go on the dining rotation. Next time I rewrite it, I'll have to remember.


You're welcome!


----------



## franandaj

So, long time between updates.  We’re just crazy busy, well I am!  We finally got our taxes done, and our accountant is retiring this year, so we got to break in a new guy next year.  What else?  Well I wasn’t expecting it, but we received the stimulus! I didn’t think we would get it since we are not employees. Within five minutes of opening the envelope, I got an email from the accountant with the results of our taxes….We owe the Feds $86 more than the stimulus.  Of course we do.  Win some, lose it quicker!

Still no bites on Apartment #2.  I’m really hoping that it rents by the 1st of June cause we really need the cash! Other than that, us and the kitties are hanging in there. I’m getting tired of constantly doing dishes, eating at home, even if we do takeout. Dine in restaurants won’t be coming back to LA county any time soon, so I might as well get used to it.  Of course we can always go to Orange County (they opened back up) if we are desperate, but we’re waiting awhile. The word on the street is that June will be back with a harder punch than April.  Let’s hope not.

Anyways back to the Trip Report!

Day 8

I woke up just after 7AM. I realized that I was derelict in my duties. The night before, Fran had asked me to look up today's showtimes of the most recent Star Wars movie. You see she had been sick with a terrible cough at the time of it's release and she didn't want to be "that person" who was hacking away during the movie, so that no one could hear what was going on. We had tickets for a couple of days after Christmas, but she was still coughing so bad then, we got a refund. Then when the new year hit, we were so busy we never had the time.  (Hmmmm…..in hindsight could she have had a mild case of the COVID-19, and I was asymptomatic? Probably not.)

The week before we left for Disneyworld, I pointed out to her that we could possibly see it while we were here, and she said we would think about it. Well, while I was inside the Publix store the night before. They had all agreed to see the movie the next day. It was my job to find out show times and communicate that information to the ladies. I felt so lousy before going to bed, that even though I had looked it up, I didn't communicate the information to Pam and her Mom.

So this morning when I was feeling much better, I sent them a quick text. We decided that the 3:45 showing at Disney Springs would be the best option. There was an earlier show, but this way no one would be rushing anywhere.

I got dressed and started on breakfast. Today would be leftovers. Fran was having the Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bread pudding leftovers.





I had another plate of the Yachtsman leftovers along with my coffee.





And then we headed off to Hollywood Studios. I had a 10:20 FP for RnRC, and since Fran can't ride it, I get to go twice! I got in line about 10:35.

The first ride I got into the preshow at 10:48 and was off the ride by 10:58





While in the "alley" waiting for my limo, I noticed a sign. I'm not sure if it's been there all along but it just sunk in on my second ride. In the construction area which separates the main queue from the single rider line, there was a sign on the chain link fence which read 


Construction Crew only

San Andreas & Son 


I love the Imagineer humor!


The second ride I got into the preshow at 11:07 and was off the ride by 11:19.






On our way out we took a couple pictures with a PP photographer.









And then we were done at DHS. There was nothing else that we really wanted to stick around for. We had been through most all the shops the day we rode RotR, we ate at Woody's Lunchbox, and really there were no other QS we wanted to try. The park was PACKED! We had the misfortune of choosing a week when the International Cheer Fest was taking place, so there were cheer groups everywhere, in all the parks. 

We caught the Skyliner back to the Riviera. On the way back to the room, we found some people admiring the carpeting outside the elevators. Its very subtle but if you look closely, you'll see the Fab Five.





We had about half an hour before we needed to take off so Fran had me make her a Ham Sandwich with the meat packets Pam had picked up for her. In the future I may just add them to our shopping list for the shopping service. They're only like $.60 each, and she likes them. I don't.  I'm a snob 





At the room, we picked up some goodies for JJ, and then it was down to the bus stop to Disney Springs. We waited about five minutes and pretty soon we were on our way.

Our first stop was World of Disney. Fran always likes to shop there and today was no different. She found some shirts and who knows what else. I don't really even pay attention anymore. 

Since she had a ham sandwich in the room, but I had nothing, I was a little hungry. There was a place called Aristocrepes which I had read about online, so we headed there. On the way we stopped for Margaritas.













When we got to the Aritsocrepes location, it was closed. Since we were right next to Goofy's Candy Company, she asked if we could get something sweet to eat in the movie. I got us a rice krispie treat, a Mickey Marshmallow wand, and a milk chocolate smores treat. Sorry forgot to take pictures. But here’s approximately what we ordered. This marshmallow wand is from DCA and the nice thing there is that Karamel Kuche does not have the exclusive on caramel treats so in addition to the chocolate coating there is caramel underneath, at WDW it’s just chocolate.









There was still the quandary of what to eat for a snack. I remembered the Poutine stand and she agreed that it sounded good so we headed back that way. We agreed on the classic, and it was a more than hearty portion to tide us over through the movie.













It was getting close to time for the movie and we headed to the theater. Pam and her mom arrived about 15 minutes after we got there and we got some popcorn before taking our seats. The movie was good and we were all entertained. And also I finally understood what I had seen on Star Tours a couple days before.

Fran and I weren't terribly hungry from all the popcorn and treats we ate, but we wanted to hang out some more. We checked with the Edison but they had a ½ an hour wait, plus Fran didn't think they had much of anything light on their menu. Splittsville was right next door, and Pam was thrilled about a veggie rice bowl that she had eaten there once before. I was interested in a sushi roll to split with Fran so that ended up being just perfect.









I got a Moscow Mule.





The two of us split the Crouching Dragon roll, and that was just enough.





Pam got her veggie rice bowl.






JJ got a mushroom Swiss Impossible burger, and she just loved it!





Fran and I ordered a Brownie Sundae, but we were the only ones to get dessert.





They had a Gluten free cupcake but Pam didn’t like the flavor. She wanted the ice cream sundae that was on the menu, but they couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be cross contamination, so she went without.

We sat around for a while planning and scheming. Who knows if any of that will come to fruition now? Eventually we said our goodbyes and they headed back home and we headed to the bus stop.

Just as we were arriving at the bus stop a Riviera bus was pulling away. We figured that it would be at least 20 minutes before we saw another bus, but oddly enough there was another bus in 15 minutes. The resort is pretty close and I wonder if they just need one bus at that hour that can keep circling back or they actually route them around to multiple locations just to keep them on their toes.

We were quickly loaded into the bus and back at our resort in no time. I realized that it was starting to get close to the time when we need to begin packing up to go home. I had a load of laundry in the wash and moved it to the dryer which got me thinking about what I wanted to wear for the next couple days and what I could start packing in the morning. I wasn't going to make the same mistake again packing all the dirty clothes in a suitcase without clean underwear spread throughout the four suitcases.

After making a pile of clothes to pack in the morning and changing it to the dryer, I took a tub. I missed my bath the night before and my legs were sore from walking at Universal the day before, plus the AMC at Disney Springs doesn't have the nice recliner seats like our normal Cinemark at home where we normally watch movies. I know First World problems!   I slathered my legs with Voltaren Gel and hoped that would help.

After a nice bath, I crawled into bed for a good night's sleep!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Is that fuchsia? I can't keep track.


 







pkondz said:


> I just did some NY strips the other day. Plus, my meatloaf recipe calls for 1.5lbs of gr. beef. That's almost impossible to get at the grocery store unless I buy a couple of packages and guesstimate it.


 
You ground NY strips for your meatloaf?  I make mine with 2 lbs ground beef and 1 lb ground pork.  Then I portion it into four loaves and freeze three of them.  Someday you will have the joy of cooking for only two.  It' taken me quite a few years to get used to it after her parents passed away. We used to feed them with our leftovers.



pkondz said:


> Standing by!


 
I think it's a couple updates away.....



pkondz said:


> Ah, okay. I thought it was because you couldn't ride anymore because it makes you ill, or it was going down for refurb or something.


 
No, just unable to plan.  Anything.  Well besides dinner, and I have that planned two and a half weeks out...



pkondz said:


> I'm learning so much about her!


 
And there's so much more you don't know......



pkondz said:


> Love corned beef. It's the sauerkraut with it that I don't care for. I like sauerkraut okay, just not too much and not in my corned beef sammie.


 
Funny, both corned beef and sauerkraut were two things that she introduced me to and I like them just fine together.



pkondz said:


> You're welcome!


 
I already made a note on the dinner list to add them in the next incarnation.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> So, long time between updates.


Me too! Wait...


franandaj said:


> Well I wasn’t expecting it, but we received the stimulus!


Yay!


franandaj said:


> I got an email from the accountant with the results of our taxes….We owe the Feds $86 more than the stimulus. Of course we do. Win some, lose it quicker!


Wow. What a bummer. Almost like... what's the point?


franandaj said:


> Dine in restaurants won’t be coming back to LA county any time soon, so I might as well get used to it.


Is your COVID rate much higher there?


franandaj said:


> The word on the street is that June will be back with a harder punch than April. Let’s hope not.


Who the heck knows. I suspect you're right and I also suspect it's _supposed _to be. 


franandaj said:


> she didn't want to be "that person" who was hacking away during the movie, so that no one could hear what was going on.


And we all thank her.


franandaj said:


> (Hmmmm…..in hindsight could she have had a mild case of the COVID-19, and I was asymptomatic? Probably not.)


It's possible. Thinking of getting tested? Or is it hard to get tested down there?


franandaj said:


> We decided that the 3:45 showing at Disney Springs would be the best option.


You mention later no reclining seats (which surprised me), other than that, how's the theatre?


franandaj said:


> I had another plate of the Yachtsman leftovers along with my coffee.


I'm having trouble deciding which breakfast I'd want more.


franandaj said:


> The first ride I got into the preshow at 10:48 and was off the ride by 10:58


Not bad!


franandaj said:


>


 These shots of you always crack me up.


franandaj said:


> Construction Crew only
> 
> San Andreas & Son


I don't get it? I've seen the sign, but... It's not a play on Sanford & Son is it?  


franandaj said:


>


What are you doing? Playing your musical instrument? Drinking?


franandaj said:


>


Cute shot. 


franandaj said:


> We had the misfortune of choosing a week when the International Cheer Fest was taking place, so there were cheer groups everywhere, in all the parks.


Oh, joy...


franandaj said:


> On the way back to the room, we found some people admiring the carpeting outside the elevators. Its very subtle but if you look closely, you'll see the Fab Five.


That's cool! Hat's off to the designer.


franandaj said:


> she likes them. I don't. I'm a snob


You is too fancy! 


franandaj said:


> Our first stop was World of Disney. Fran always likes to shop there and today was no different.


It's too big for me. I like smaller shops. When I shop at all.


franandaj said:


> She found some shirts and who knows what else. I don't really even pay attention anymore.


 


franandaj said:


> On the way we stopped for Margaritas.


Oh! I need to remember this place.


franandaj said:


> When we got to the Aritsocrepes location, it was closed.


well... poop.


franandaj said:


> I got us a rice krispie treat, a Mickey Marshmallow wand, and a milk chocolate smores treat.


 


franandaj said:


> I remembered the Poutine stand


I am afraid of this place. Love poutine. Want poutine... but get very disappointed when it's not _good_ poutine.


franandaj said:


> The movie was good and we were all entertained.


Glad you all enjoyed it. 


franandaj said:


> And also I finally understood what I had seen on Star Tours a couple days before.





franandaj said:


> The two of us split the Crouching Dragon roll, and that was just enough.


Looks good. 


franandaj said:


> Pam got her veggie rice bowl.


Looks pretty happy!


franandaj said:


> JJ got a mushroom Swiss Impossible burger, and she just loved it!


Looks _very_ happy!  


franandaj said:


>


 Whoa!


franandaj said:


> The resort is pretty close and I wonder if they just need one bus at that hour that can keep circling back or they actually route them around to multiple locations just to keep them on their toes.


Who knows? I defy anyone to figure out the thinking behind Disney bus scheduling.


franandaj said:


> I slathered my legs with Voltaren Gel and hoped that would help.


Reminds me. My mom picked up a tube but is allergic. Next time I'm down your way, want it?


franandaj said:


> You ground NY strips for your meatloaf?


Oh, no. Sorry. I bought 2 NY strips for dinner and grilled them up. (Kay wasn't home and Elle is pescatarian. She had salmon.) I _also_ bought 1.5lbs of gr. beef.


franandaj said:


> I make mine with 2 lbs ground beef and 1 lb ground pork. Then I portion it into four loaves and freeze three of them.


Interesting. That'd only be enough for 2 loaves, for me.


franandaj said:


> Someday you will have the joy of cooking for only two.


Very true.


franandaj said:


> And there's so much more you don't know......


Of _ that_  I'm sure!


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


> (Hmmmm…..in hindsight could she have had a mild case of the COVID-19, and I was asymptomatic? Probably not.)


Isn't it funny how your mind wanders to that idea!?  My Mom and I both came off our Disney cruise in December with terrible coughs that lasted for weeks.  Once this COVID business started, it got us thinking the same thing.  Of course, it was probably just a result of being on a cruise, nothing more.  But you can't help wondering!



franandaj said:


> We caught the Skyliner back to the Riviera. On the way back to the room, we found some people admiring the carpeting outside the elevators. Its very subtle but if you look closely, you'll see the Fab Five.


That is really subtle, and such a great touch!!  I hadn't seen this one mentioned anywhere before.

Sounds like you had a lovely day!  I am the only one in my family who loves Rock'n Rollercoaster, but I always make a FP for everyone, so I can ride over and over   Hey, if I'm doing the planning, I'm reaping the benefits, people!

We've never seen a movie at Disney Springs.  I'm surprised they don't have those awesome recliner seats!!  I would expect it to be the most amazing theater ever....what a bummer.


----------



## cruisehopeful

franandaj said:


> On the way back to the room, we found some people admiring the carpeting outside the elevators. Its very subtle but if you look closely, you'll see the Fab Five.


That rug is so cute! I bet it would even looker cuter in my house.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Don't see any of that coming soon. I'm finding out that I am unable to overeat at home. I ordered Shabu Shabu last week and what I can normally eat almost everything, I found myself full before I was even halfway done. Then again I got another meal out of it the next day



I remember you tackling the Shabu when Kari and I went with you! But... leftovers are a wonderful thing!! 



franandaj said:


> Well it turned out that the shower had a case of wet rot that was uncovered when the team came in to clean up the mess. They had to take out most of the bathroom, all the way down to the joists and replace them. When the damage happened, the tenant had a pink bathroom, original from the 1950s. They had to replace the tub and shower once they rebuilt the joists, so she got a pretty tan bathroom instead. They pretty much ripped us off. Had we known Gale at that time, he would have done the whole apartment (kitchen too) for just a few thousand more than that. However, we didn't meet him until about 6-9 months later.



Uh oh!! Rot is a huge, and sadly very expensive, thing.  Sometimes luck isn't on our side. Hopefully, that'll be a long-term fix (oughta be for that price!) and Gale can be there for you moving forward. 



franandaj said:


> We’re just crazy busy, well I am!



Oh how I know that feeling! Now that things are moving back towards normal at work my schedule should finally start becoming more sane. 



franandaj said:


> .We owe the Feds $86 more than the stimulus. Of course we do. Win some, lose it quicker!



You got off lucky. I owed $300 more than I got from the check. Made paying Uncle Sam less painful, but... 



franandaj said:


> The word on the street is that June will be back with a harder punch than April. Let’s hope not.



I don't think it'll be harder, but we'll see the same number of cases as we would have regardless.... hopefully just more spread out. 



franandaj said:


> (Hmmmm…..in hindsight could she have had a mild case of the COVID-19, and I was asymptomatic? Probably not.)



I'd bet money you both have antibodies. 


franandaj said:


>



Now, THAT'S my kind of breakfast!!



franandaj said:


> Construction Crew only
> 
> San Andreas & Son
> 
> 
> I love the Imagineer humor!



LOVE that!!! 



franandaj said:


> We caught the Skyliner back to the Riviera. On the way back to the room, we found some people admiring the carpeting outside the elevators. Its very subtle but if you look closely, you'll see the Fab Five.



Love this even more!! So subtle and amazing. Seriously, my kind of Disney right there! 



franandaj said:


> We checked with the Edison but they had a ½ an hour wait, plus Fran didn't think they had much of anything light on their menu.



I've been a couple of times, and yes, waits are normal and light is anything but there. 



franandaj said:


>



Wait!! I thought you were going for "light".  



franandaj said:


> The resort is pretty close and I wonder if they just need one bus at that hour that can keep circling back or they actually route them around to multiple locations just to keep them on their toes.



So, true story. I was waiting at a gate a couple of trips ago and struck up a conversation with a bus driver traveling back to Disney/home. Her husband was a transportation supervisor who trained bus drivers. Now I could have the following backwards and it could be the other way around.... (random routes to assigned routes or  vice versa)

What she told me was that up until last year, they sent them wherever there was a need and it was random. It was driven by a software system that they had to learn and they could be dispatched anywhere on property and she loved it. But, she told me when she got back she was going to have to be totally re-trained in the new system in which they were switching ALL drivers to assigned routes, so they'd drive the same route over and over. Hmmm, now that I type that out, I recall her saying she was driving the AKL/AK route, so I'm thinking it's going to a randomly/as needed routing system. Anyway, she is being told whatever it is being switched to should be a LOT more efficient and should meet real-time demands better. Having said that, Covid f'd everything up now, so we'll see. 



pkondz said:


> Who the heck knows. I suspect you're right and I also suspect it's _supposed _to be.



Yes. Someone made the BEST analogy I've seen yet with this:

Imagine Covid as a water balloon. When it first started, it was round and its profile was high. Now, someone steps on it, and it flattens out. But stepped on or not, there is still the same amount of water in it, the water doesn't go anywhere. The same amount of people are going to get it, whether it's now all in one bunch, or spread out over time. Humans have an immune system for a reason, let's put them to work. 

"Compare  it to a water balloon


pkondz said:


> It's possible. Thinking of getting tested? Or is it hard to get tested down there?



I think the testing is going to be veeeery reavealing.


----------



## pkondz

Steppesister said:


> Yes. Someone made the BEST analogy I've seen yet with this:
> 
> Imagine Covid as a water balloon. When it first started, it was round and its profile was high. Now, someone steps on it, and it flattens out. But stepped on or not, there is still the same amount of water in it, the water doesn't go anywhere. The same amount of people are going to get it, whether it's now all in one bunch, or spread out over time. Humans have an immune system for a reason, let's put them to work.
> 
> "Compare it to a water balloon


Not bad!
And... since we're on that analogy... 
Think of that same water balloon. You need to empty it by filling up a cup of water and then draining the cup into the sink. If you pop it with a needle, all the water will gush out and the cup will overflow. But if you untie the knot at the mouth of the balloon and slowly pour it out, you can keep filling and emptying the cup until the balloon is empty. Same amount of water comes out, just at a slower (social-distanced, self-quarantined) rate and the cup (health care system) doesn't get over-run.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Within five minutes of opening the envelope, I got an email from the accountant with the results of our taxes….We owe the Feds $86 more than the stimulus. Of course we do. Win some, lose it quicker!



Talk about a short-lived victory.



franandaj said:


> The word on the street is that June will be back with a harder punch than April. Let’s hope not.



Ugh.  I pray that's not the case.  This sucks.



franandaj said:


> You see she had been sick with a terrible cough at the time of it's release and she didn't want to be "that person" who was hacking away during the movie, so that no one could hear what was going on.



Hey, that's really considerate.  And sadly rare these days.



franandaj said:


> (Hmmmm…..in hindsight could she have had a mild case of the COVID-19, and I was asymptomatic? Probably not.)



Who knows at this point?



franandaj said:


> Construction Crew only
> 
> San Andreas & Son



 Nice.



franandaj said:


> We caught the Skyliner back to the Riviera. On the way back to the room, we found some people admiring the carpeting outside the elevators. Its very subtle but if you look closely, you'll see the Fab Five.



Oh yeah!  Cool.



franandaj said:


> The park was PACKED! We had the misfortune of choosing a week when the International Cheer Fest was taking place, so there were cheer groups everywhere, in all the parks.



Ugh.  There's never a time when it's not crowded anymore.



franandaj said:


> Our first stop was World of Disney. Fran always likes to shop there and today was no different. She found some shirts and who knows what else. I don't really even pay attention anymore.



Well, their stuff is completely different from all of the other gift shops! 



franandaj said:


> I remembered the Poutine stand and she agreed that it sounded good so we headed back that way. We agreed on the classic, and it was a more than hearty portion to tide us over through the movie.



That Italian one looks interesting to me.



franandaj said:


> We sat around for a while planning and scheming. Who knows if any of that will come to fruition now?







franandaj said:


> I wasn't going to make the same mistake again packing all the dirty clothes in a suitcase without clean underwear spread throughout the four suitcases.



Fool me once...


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> Well I wasn’t expecting it, but we received the stimulus!


Nice! I wish we'd all got something like this, but we didn't qualify for anything...better that then lose our jobs though of course!



franandaj said:


> Still no bites on Apartment #2



Wow crazy!! Come on apartment 2!



franandaj said:


> The word on the street is that June will be back with a harder punch than April.



I kinda think this, with things relaxing these days



franandaj said:


> (Hmmmm…..in hindsight could she have had a mild case of the COVID-19, and I was asymptomatic? Probably not.)



We have thoughts like this too...




franandaj said:


>



Yum yum! This looks up my alley.. I can't remember the last time I had mountain dew though



franandaj said:


>



And this would be right up D's alley (although I wouldn't turn it down  )



franandaj said:


>



Nice one of you two! Good smiles!



franandaj said:


> you'll see the Fab Five.



This is a super cool rug!



franandaj said:


> make her a Ham Sandwich



I'm probably the only person on the planet who really isn't in to ham sandwiches...



franandaj said:


> On the way we stopped for Margaritas.



One of the reasons why I like you two   always time for a marg 


franandaj said:


>



See that white and pinky/purple can in the bottom right- white claws- my new drink to take riding on my horse 


franandaj said:


>



I just love chocolate marshmallow wands- yummmm yyum! 



franandaj said:


>



Yum! Love poutine! D and I had a BBQ chicken one the other day- shredded chicken, hot sauce, slaw, ranch dressing, monterey jack- seemed like a lot of stuff, but it was GOOD!




franandaj said:


>



Mmm big cheese curds!



franandaj said:


> the AMC at Disney Springs doesn't have the nice recliner seats like our normal Cinemark at home where we normally watch movies



Our theatre is just a plain jane too, I want recliner seats!



franandaj said:


> slathered my legs with Voltaren Gel


 Love that stuff!


And onwards!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Wow. What a bummer. Almost like... what's the point?



Yeah, and don't get me started on our supposed "tax break".  I bet we wouldn't have had to pay if the system had not been overhauled.



pkondz said:


> Is your COVID rate much higher there?



Evidently LA County is the epicenter of California.  Long Beach has a better rate than most of the rest of the county.



pkondz said:


> Who the heck knows. I suspect you're right and I also suspect it's _supposed _to be.



I think it's because everyone was out being stupid last weekend.



pkondz said:


> It's possible. Thinking of getting tested? Or is it hard to get tested down there?



Until they have a test that doesn't involve a Q-tip going up your nose into your brain, I'm going to wait.



pkondz said:


> You mention later no reclining seats (which surprised me), other than that, how's the theatre?



Pretty standard theater.



pkondz said:


> I'm having trouble deciding which breakfast I'd want more.



   Good one!



pkondz said:


> These shots of you always crack me up.



I'm just mimicking you....really!



pkondz said:


> I don't get it? I've seen the sign, but... It's not a play on Sanford & Son is it?



No, the San Andreas fault runs from about San Francisco through San Jose and into the San Joaquin Valley, through the Grapevine and into San Bernardino County.  It's literally the reason people joke about California falling off into the ocean.



pkondz said:


> What are you doing? Playing your musical instrument? Drinking?



Drinking.....



pkondz said:


> That's cool! Hat's off to the designer.



It took us several days and someone else pointing it out to see it!  



pkondz said:


> You is too fancy!



   I am!  



pkondz said:


> It's too big for me. I like smaller shops. When I shop at all.



She likes the one stop shopping aspect.



pkondz said:


> Oh! I need to remember this place.



We've been enjoying those for quite a few trips now.....



pkondz said:


> I am afraid of this place. Love poutine. Want poutine... but get very disappointed when it's not _good_ poutine.



I can see that.  We don't get it very often, so we don't know good poutine from mediocre poutine.



pkondz said:


> Glad you all enjoyed it.



It was good to have an end to the series.



pkondz said:


> Looks pretty happy!
> Looks _very_ happy!



They are a happy bunch!



pkondz said:


> Whoa!



We weren't expecting that.



pkondz said:


> Who knows? I defy anyone to figure out the thinking behind Disney bus scheduling.



Really, who knows?



pkondz said:


> Reminds me. My mom picked up a tube but is allergic. Next time I'm down your way, want it?



Sure!  They just released it in the US over the counter.



pkondz said:


> Oh, no. Sorry. I bought 2 NY strips for dinner and grilled them up. (Kay wasn't home and Elle is pescatarian. She had salmon.) I _also_ bought 1.5lbs of gr. beef.



That makes sense.



pkondz said:


> Interesting. That'd only be enough for 2 loaves, for me.



Since there are only two of us and we don't eat a whole lot, those loaves feed us for one dinner and one leftover meatloaf sandwich for Fran.



pkondz said:


> Of _ that_ I'm sure!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, and don't get me started on our supposed "tax break". I bet we wouldn't have had to pay if the system had not been overhauled.


<carefully tiptoes away from that one>  


franandaj said:


> Evidently LA County is the epicenter of California.


Not surprising.


franandaj said:


> Long Beach has a better rate than most of the rest of the county.


Good!!! Means you're safe(r).


franandaj said:


> I think it's because everyone was out being stupid last weekend.


 We had some of that up here too. We'll see what comes of it.


franandaj said:


> Until they have a test that doesn't involve a Q-tip going up your nose into your brain, I'm going to wait.


OMG! I know! I've seen those videos and …. Nope!!!


franandaj said:


> Pretty standard theater.


Well, that's disappointing.


franandaj said:


> I'm just mimicking you....really!


 I highly doubt that!


franandaj said:


> No, the San Andreas fault runs from about San Francisco through San Jose and into the San Joaquin Valley, through the Grapevine and into San Bernardino County. It's literally the reason people joke about California falling off into the ocean.


Ohhh... Okay. I do know about the San Andreas fault of course. Just didn't put it together with Florida... but that ride is set in LA. Makes sense now.


franandaj said:


> It took us several days and someone else pointing it out to see it!


I would've been the same!


franandaj said:


> She likes the one stop shopping aspect.


I get that. 


franandaj said:


> I can see that. We don't get it very often, so we don't know good poutine from mediocre poutine.


I don't get it often either. Because the _really_ good stuff is in Quebec.


franandaj said:


> It was good to have an end to the series.





franandaj said:


> Sure! They just released it in the US over the counter.


Ah! That's gonna save a lot of room in my luggage, then!


----------



## jedijill

CAtching up but your updates are making miss my happy places and my friends!  I was supposed to see JJ and Pam in Hawaii and you guys too!

Jill in CO


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> Isn't it funny how your mind wanders to that idea!? My Mom and I both came off our Disney cruise in December with terrible coughs that lasted for weeks. Once this COVID business started, it got us thinking the same thing. Of course, it was probably just a result of being on a cruise, nothing more. But you can't help wondering!



I know!  But I doubt it.  I think it was just Fran's yearly winter cough that takes 2 months to go away.

Hey! I see that you are trying again for a trip to WDW in your ticker....will you be doing a TR?  I'm really interested to read TRs from folks who go back in the first weeks/months of opening.



missjackiemcg said:


> That is really subtle, and such a great touch!! I hadn't seen this one mentioned anywhere before.



Really?  Cool!



missjackiemcg said:


> Sounds like you had a lovely day! I am the only one in my family who loves Rock'n Rollercoaster, but I always make a FP for everyone, so I can ride over and over  Hey, if I'm doing the planning, I'm reaping the benefits, people!



When I don't get input, that's the ride going on the FP+!



missjackiemcg said:


> We've never seen a movie at Disney Springs. I'm surprised they don't have those awesome recliner seats!! I would expect it to be the most amazing theater ever....what a bummer.



Well, it's just an AMC so they're the ones responsible for the theater, not Disney.


----------



## rndmr2

franandaj said:


> Until they have a test that doesn't involve a Q-tip going up your nose into your brain, I'm going to wait.


I am an RN in a nursing home and since this whole mess started, I have been tested 3 times (thankfully all 3 negative). I did ask to be tested for the first one since I had some very close contact with a resident the day before he tested positive (and we have since tracked him as the most likely one that brought it into the facility in the first place, so I had LOTS of contact with him since the time that he most likely contracted it) The other 2 times were because our illustrious governor has decided that ALL Nursing Home Employees have to be tested TWICE a week or the facility will lose its licensure.  It is HIGHLY uncomfortable but I didn't feel it was painful, although I guess it depends on who is doing the "swabbing" because I have heard some stories. Think REALLY INTENSE itchy pressure and the Horrendous urge to sneeze. That is the Nasopharyngeal method. There is another method that is just nasal where you swab in a circular motion inside each nostril about 1/2 way in that is not as unpleasant (and the method that 2 of the testing sites we are told to go to use and it is a "Self swab").  Personally, I'm not 100% sure it is as accurate but if the DOH gives these places as approved testing sites, I guess it must be.

About that theater, I went to see one movie in that theater the whole time it has been there and it was right after it opened. Steel Magnolias on New Year's Day 1990. I was on a trip with just me and my parents and my Mom had been dying to see it. After it was over, my dad said, "you know it's a sad movie when you hear scattered throughout the theater, lots of men "Coughing"  I am surprised to hear they don't have the full reclining seats there.


----------



## Steppesister

rndmr2 said:


> The other 2 times were because our illustrious governor has decided that ALL Nursing Home Employees have to be tested TWICE a week or the facility will lose its licensure.


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


> Hey! I see that you are trying again for a trip to WDW in your ticker....will you be doing a TR? I'm really interested to read TRs from folks who go back in the first weeks/months of opening.


YES!  That's the plan.  We were supposed to go in April, then changed it to June, then again to July.  When Disney announced the opening dates, it turns out we arrive just one day later.  

I will definitely do a TR for the trip!!  I'm so grateful I have a travel agent involved for this trip because there has been SO much back and forth and changing info along the way.  

I really hope they will announce that resorts are opening along with the parks, and that our TA can get us park reservation times for each day of our trip.  It's a girls trip, just my Mom, my aunt, and I, and we all feel like it's a quest now to get there.  2020, be damned, we are bound for Walt Disney World!!!


----------



## franandaj

cruisehopeful said:


> That rug is so cute! I bet it would even looker cuter in my house.



Good one!  



Steppesister said:


> I remember you tackling the Shabu when Kari and I went with you! But... leftovers are a wonderful thing!!



I usually like my leftovers just to be the soup.  Turns out I got a bunch of leftovers, a second Shabu meal and my soup and half of Fran's soup. 



Steppesister said:


> Uh oh!! Rot is a huge, and sadly very expensive, thing.  Sometimes luck isn't on our side. Hopefully, that'll be a long-term fix (oughta be for that price!) and Gale can be there for you moving forward.



Yeah, Gale seems to be getting older and less reliable.....  



Steppesister said:


> Oh how I know that feeling! Now that things are moving back towards normal at work my schedule should finally start becoming more sane.



I just hope #2 rents and we can get something more sane.



Steppesister said:


> You got off lucky. I owed $300 more than I got from the check. Made paying Uncle Sam less painful, but...



Well I didn't mention that state taxes.  



Steppesister said:


> I don't think it'll be harder, but we'll see the same number of cases as we would have regardless.... hopefully just more spread out.



At this point with everything thats been going on i think we're in for a serious spike.



Steppesister said:


> I'd bet money you both have antibodies.



I doubt it. The cough was way too soin.6



Steppesister said:


> Now, THAT'S my kind of breakfast!!



 



Steppesister said:


> LOVE that!!!
> 
> Love this even more!! So subtle and amazing. Seriously, my kind of Disney right there!



Thats why we all keep coming back!



Steppesister said:


> I've been a couple of times, and yes, waits are normal and light is anything but there.



I'm glad we chose wisely!



Steppesister said:


> Wait!! I thought you were going for "light".



Well light rarely applies to dessert.



Steppesister said:


> So, true story. I was waiting at a gate a couple of trips ago and struck up a conversation with a bus driver traveling back to Disney/home. Her husband was a transportation supervisor who trained bus drivers. Now I could have the following backwards and it could be the other way around.... (random routes to assigned routes or vice versa)
> 
> What she told me was that up until last year, they sent them wherever there was a need and it was random. It was driven by a software system that they had to learn and they could be dispatched anywhere on property and she loved it. But, she told me when she got back she was going to have to be totally re-trained in the new system in which they were switching ALL drivers to assigned routes, so they'd drive the same route over and over. Hmmm, now that I type that out, I recall her saying she was driving the AKL/AK route, so I'm thinking it's going to a randomly/as needed routing system. Anyway, she is being told whatever it is being switched to should be a LOT more efficient and should meet real-time demands better. Having said that, Covid f'd everything up now, so we'll see.



Interesting food for thought. 



Steppesister said:


> Yes. Someone made the BEST analogy I've seen yet with this:
> 
> Imagine Covid as a water balloon. When it first started, it was round and its profile was high. Now, someone steps on it, and it flattens out. But stepped on or not, there is still the same amount of water in it, the water doesn't go anywhere. The same amount of people are going to get it, whether it's now all in one bunch, or spread out over time. Humans have an immune system for a reason, let's put them to work.
> 
> "Compare it to a water balloon



Hmmm.....interesting 



Steppesister said:


> I think the testing is going to be veeeery reavealing.



Not sure if or when we will do it.



pkondz said:


> Not bad!
> And... since we're on that analogy...
> Think of that same water balloon. You need to empty it by filling up a cup of water and then draining the cup into the sink. If you pop it with a needle, all the water will gush out and the cup will overflow. But if you untie the knot at the mouth of the balloon and slowly pour it out, you can keep filling and emptying the cup until the balloon is empty. Same amount of water comes out, just at a slower (social-distanced, self-quarantined) rate and the cup (health care system) doesn't get over-run.



Also interesting.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Talk about a short-lived victory.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ugh. I pray that's not the case. This sucks.



Well it's looking more likely with all the reckless behavior....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, that's really considerate. And sadly rare these days.



Thanks!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Nice.



Imagineers rock!   



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ugh. There's never a time when it's not crowded anymore.



Now?   



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, their stuff is completely different from all of the other gift shops!



Which is why I don't really find much when we shop anymore.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That Italian one looks interesting to me.



That may have been my second choice.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Fool me once...


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Nice! I wish we'd all got something like this, but we didn't qualify for anything...better that then lose our jobs though of course!



Personally I think it was strange, but I'm not going to refuse free money.  I wonder how they're going to tax it next year.



DnA2010 said:


> Wow crazy!! Come on apartment 2!



I know!



DnA2010 said:


> I kinda think this, with things relaxing these days



With all the people protesting without taking proper caution, it is inevitable.



DnA2010 said:


> We have thoughts like this too...



I think everyone does.....



DnA2010 said:


> Yum yum! This looks up my alley.. I can't remember the last time I had mountain dew though



I can't stand it, but Fran loves it.



DnA2010 said:


> And this would be right up D's alley (although I wouldn't turn it down  )



Can't wait until S55 opens up!



DnA2010 said:


> Nice one of you two! Good smiles!



Thanks!



DnA2010 said:


> This is a super cool rug!



It sure is!



DnA2010 said:


> I'm probably the only person on the planet who really isn't in to ham sandwiches...



They're OK, not my favorite.  I'm not a big sandwich person.



DnA2010 said:


> One of the reasons why I like you two  always time for a marg







DnA2010 said:


> See that white and pinky/purple can in the bottom right- white claws- my new drink to take riding on my horse



Ah, what is it?



DnA2010 said:


> I just love chocolate marshmallow wands- yummmm yyum!



I wonder if I can get these somewhere while Disney is closed.....



DnA2010 said:


> Yum! Love poutine! D and I had a BBQ chicken one the other day- shredded chicken, hot sauce, slaw, ranch dressing, monterey jack- seemed like a lot of stuff, but it was GOOD!



OK, that sounds a little odd....but I'll take your word for it.



DnA2010 said:


> Mmm big cheese curds!



Yummy!  



DnA2010 said:


> Our theatre is just a plain jane too, I want recliner seats!



Recliner seats are the best!



DnA2010 said:


> Love that stuff!
> 
> 
> And onwards!



Trying to get there!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> <carefully tiptoes away from that one>







pkondz said:


> Not surprising.



We do have the largest population.  And.....with all the protests and stuff I expect to see a lot more.



pkondz said:


> Good!!! Means you're safe(r).



Well considering we pretty much only leave the house to go to the grocery store and Post Office, there isn't a huge amount of risk.



pkondz said:


> We had some of that up here too. We'll see what comes of it.



It was two weeks ago today, so we'll see what happens.



pkondz said:


> OMG! I know! I've seen those videos and …. Nope!!!



I'll just stay safely home for a little while longer.  I haven't seen any videos, just heard it described to me.



pkondz said:


> Ohhh... Okay. I do know about the San Andreas fault of course. Just didn't put it together with Florida... but that ride is set in LA. Makes sense now.



Yes, I've even seen a number of shows at the Forum (the place where your limo is taking you across town.)



pkondz said:


> I don't get it often either. Because the _really_ good stuff is in Quebec.



Well, I've never been to Quebec, and now it appears it will be even longer before I get there.  Although it is pretty high up there on the list.



pkondz said:


> Ah! That's gonna save a lot of room in my luggage, then!



Well....not so fast.  I haven't actually found it yet.  I did look while at the grocery store on Saturday.



jedijill said:


> CAtching up but your updates are making miss my happy places and my friends! I was supposed to see JJ and Pam in Hawaii and you guys too!



Hopefully soon!



missjackiemcg said:


> YES! That's the plan. We were supposed to go in April, then changed it to June, then again to July. When Disney announced the opening dates, it turns out we arrive just one day later.



You're braver than me.  I'm hoping my July stay at DL gets canceled.



missjackiemcg said:


> I will definitely do a TR for the trip!! I'm so grateful I have a travel agent involved for this trip because there has been SO much back and forth and changing info along the way.



Oh good!  I will definitely be interested in that TR.  I want to hear about how surreal the experience will be.



missjackiemcg said:


> I really hope they will announce that resorts are opening along with the parks, and that our TA can get us park reservation times for each day of our trip. It's a girls trip, just my Mom, my aunt, and I, and we all feel like it's a quest now to get there. 2020, be damned, we are bound for Walt Disney World!!!



I'm pretty sure resorts are opening June 21 or 22, well before the parks open.  At least DVC resorts are opening.  I keep getting emails from DVC about how things are changing, and what they are doing with our points and such.


----------



## franandaj

Day 9

Woke up this morning at 6:15. Did a quick calculation in my head of when we had to leave and we had three hours. I rolled back over and went to sleep for a few more minutes. I decided I would take a bath again this morning. My legs were still sore and figured I needed a make up tub from two nights before. I looked out the window and it was REALLY foggy, remember the view from the day before?





I waited until GMA came on at 7 to see if there was any news, and after listening to their top of the broadcast tease, one of the stories was who was going to win "Best in Show" at the Westminister Dog Show. 

Obviously it was going to be a slow news day. 

After the bath, I sat around cooling down playing Mahjong before I decided it was time for coffee and V8. We didn't want to spoil our appetites today since we had Fran's favorite breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. I also got out one of the suitcases while Fran got dressed and started putting away clothes that we weren't going to be wearing in the next couple days. 

We got out of the room only about 10-15 minutes late, but we made up for that because as soon as we pulled up to the bus stop a MK bus arrived. I heard someone say one of the nicest things I've heard from another guest. A father said to his daughter. "Hold on sweetie, we have to let the people who need the ramp get on first." Wow! Maybe not everyone is glaring at us!

At MK there was a HUGE line at security. I suggested that it might be faster to take the path to the Contemporary and board there, but we stuck it out. As we got close to the front, Fran agreed that I might have had a good idea. We would remember next time. 

Finally through security, we scooted over to the monorail where there was already a train, but it was full so we had to wait for the next one. We were still OK on time, so hopefully we wouldn't be late for our reservation.

We weren't.  They were running about 15 minutes late so we just waited until they could seat us.

Mary Poppins came by first before we had a chance to go up to the buffet. 













Pooh was quick on her heels so I waited for him.





I wasn't feeling eggish or breakfast burrito-ish so I just went right to my Mickey Waffle course.





Fran got herself a plate of food.





I got myself a bowl of strawberry soup.





Fran asked me to get her an egg Benedict with extra hollandaise.





And then Alice came by





Then the Mad Hatter. He wasn't nearly as much fun as the Hatter in October, but you can't win them all.









I got some bread pudding and fruit.  I sure wish I could eat like I used to.  I barely had anything this day.





Then Tigger came around. 









Fran got herself one last plate, and it appears that I neglected to take a picture of it.

As we were leaving, a nice lady offered to take a picture of the two of us since we didn’t get any together with the characters.





Then we left for MK.  City Hall was under renovation.






This was not a happy visit.  At all. 


Our first FP was for HM. They used to make exceptions for disabled visitors by letting them go in a back door and miss the long queue, however this time they wouldn't budge. She either had to get a manual wheelchair (they didn't say how she was supposed to operate it, they just assumed someone in her party would push, what if she was a solo traveler?) and traverse the queue that way. Well Fran is not someone who will be pushed in a manual chair so she tried to walk the queue, but it was too much for her and about halfway to the entrance she turned back and said, "This is too far for me to walk".  I was sad to ride the ride all by myself, but I hadn’t been on it in this version for a long time, so I rode it.









I rode by myself, and it was very lonely. Clearly I was more interested in the shutter speed than posing for the picture…..

















Even though it’s not a great shot, I think that this is my first ever graveyard shot to come out not completely blurry.





When I got off the ride she had texted me where to find her.  It was really hot. My next FP was for 7DMT, but I really wasn't feeling it. 









She insisted I go on it and tried to get me to do it twice. Once was plenty.  The hot air rushing over my face actually made me nauseous. Really on 7DMT?  So we turned around and went back to the room. The next day I realized that I was probably dehydrated.  I didn’t drink any water, just POG and coffee during our breakfast at 1900 PF, and so being full, and not hydrated made me feel icky.


On the way out of the park I looked for that castle zoom PP shot, but there wasn’t a photographer in the spot so we gave up on it.


We did stop for a few PP pictures on the way out since I knew this would be our last trip to MK this trip.

















Back in the room Fran went right to sleep. 


And I’ll just leave this off right here for now.  There isn’t a lot of days left, and I need to start catching up on my bonus features which I will use to kill time after I finish this TR.


----------



## ajf1007

What a great update Allison!  I can't believe that HM was so strict with the wheelchair and that's a great question, what if she was a solo traveler! The rug picture, I had to look at for a couple minutes before I saw the FAB 5!  How cool is that!!!  

I hope you guys are well and safe!  Looking forward to the next update while I kill time until my Labor Day trip to the Riviera!  It will certainly be a different kind of trip but we're going to make the most of it!


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


> as soon as we pulled up to the bus stop a MK bus arrived. I heard someone say one of the nicest things I've heard from another guest. A father said to his daughter. "Hold on sweetie, we have to let the people who need the ramp get on first." Wow! Maybe not everyone is glaring at us!


That really is nice to hear!! Much better than the alternative sighing and turning their noses up at people who are waiting with their scooters.  Lord knows I've seen enough of that.  I never understand it either.  We'll all make it to the parks eventually, people!



franandaj said:


>


I was going to say how adorable this dress is based on this first photo, and I fell more in love with it as I saw the rest of it!! Love that it's an Aristocats dress!  I'd never seen it before.  I can't make out what it says around the neck, but it's just the cutest!



franandaj said:


>


Such a sweet picture!!  Great way to end your last MK day, after the unpleasant HM experience and then not feeling well on top of it!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We do have the largest population. And.....with all the protests and stuff I expect to see a lot more.


We'll certainly see. I'm hoping for the best. Dreading the worst.


franandaj said:


> Well considering we pretty much only leave the house to go to the grocery store and Post Office, there isn't a huge amount of risk.





franandaj said:


> I haven't seen any videos, just heard it described to me.


I have, and... NOPE!


franandaj said:


> Yes, I've even seen a number of shows at the Forum (the place where your limo is taking you across town.)


I'm not surprised. 


franandaj said:


> Well, I've never been to Quebec, and now it appears it will be even longer before I get there.  Although it is pretty high up there on the list.


Hope you both _can_ get there and _do_ get there some day.


franandaj said:


> Well....not so fast. I haven't actually found it yet. I did look while at the grocery store on Saturday.


It's sitting by my kitchen phone as we speak.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> one of the stories was who was going to win "Best in Show" at the Westminister Dog Show.
> 
> Obviously it was going to be a slow news day.


Man bites dog! News at 11!

Have you ever seen the movie, Best In Show?


franandaj said:


> I decided it was time for coffee and V8.


I had a V8 about a week ago. I thought of you! 


franandaj said:


> we had Fran's favorite breakfast at 1900 Park Fare.


 You guys go at least once each trip, don't you?


franandaj said:


> as soon as we pulled up to the bus stop a MK bus arrived.


Good timing! 


franandaj said:


> A father said to his daughter. "Hold on sweetie, we have to let the people who need the ramp get on first." Wow! Maybe not everyone is glaring at us!


Well halleluiah! Finally a good experience for you guys. 
It _really_ bothers me that you feel you get dirty looks.


franandaj said:


> At MK there was a HUGE line at security. I suggested that it might be faster to take the path to the Contemporary and board there, but we stuck it out.


Unless I'm mistaken, you have to go through security to get _on_ the path to the Contemporary. So (if that's the case) it wouldn't save you time.



franandaj said:


> Mary Poppins came by first before we had a chance to go up to the buffet.


Cute shot of the two of you. Practically perfect!


franandaj said:


> I got myself a bowl of strawberry soup.


As did Fran, of course. 
Some day I have to try this soup you keep raving about. 


franandaj said:


> Fran asked me to get her an egg Benedict with extra hollandaise.


Because Fran is smart.

I _have_ to stop saying that.


Nah.


franandaj said:


> Then the Mad Hatter. He wasn't nearly as much fun as the Hatter in October, but you can't win them all.


Ah well. 


franandaj said:


> Fran got herself one last plate, and it appears that I neglected to take a picture of it


What?!?!??!?!?!


franandaj said:


> This was not a happy visit. At all.





franandaj said:


> Our first FP was for HM. They used to make exceptions for disabled visitors by letting them go in a back door and miss the long queue, however this time they wouldn't budge. She either had to get a manual wheelchair (they didn't say how she was supposed to operate it, they just assumed someone in her party would push, what if she was a solo traveler?)


Hmmm... 
It's easy to armchair quarterback, but... 
"Oh, thank you for offering to push the wheelchair for us! That's very generous of you... What's that? You aren't going to push it? Oh, so someone at the wheelchair rental will? No? So just to get my facts right, you are saying that you will not allow disabled guests to ride HM. Thank you, I'll let guest services know how informative you were!"

You may have guessed this ticks me off.


franandaj said:


> Well Fran is not someone who will be pushed in a manual chair so she tried to walk the queue, but it was too much for her and about halfway to the entrance she turned back and said, "This is too far for me to walk". I was sad to ride the ride all by myself, but I hadn’t been on it in this version for a long time, so I rode it.





franandaj said:


> Even though it’s not a great shot, I think that this is my first ever graveyard shot to come out not completely blurry.


You got a lot of really great shots!


franandaj said:


> Clearly I was more interested in the shutter speed than posing for the picture…..





franandaj said:


> My next FP was for 7DMT, but I really wasn't feeling it.


Yet, you seem happy enough in the photos.


franandaj said:


> The hot air rushing over my face actually made me nauseous.


 Not okay.


franandaj said:


> The next day I realized that I was probably dehydrated. I didn’t drink any water, just POG and coffee during our breakfast at 1900 PF, and so being full, and not hydrated made me feel icky.


Ohhh... could be! 


franandaj said:


> We did stop for a few PP pictures on the way out


Cute shots of you guys. Especially the last one.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Absolutely love that dress!

Not very magical treatment at HM!

Lovely picture of the two of you in front of the castle!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> I waited until GMA came on at 7 to see if there was any news, and after listening to their top of the broadcast tease, one of the stories was who was going to win "Best in Show" at the Westminister Dog Show.
> 
> Obviously it was going to be a slow news day.



That's an understatement!  Wish the news was that boring now.



franandaj said:


> At MK there was a HUGE line at security.



Ugh.  I hope this is one thing they've worked on addressing during the break.  Every security line is terrible.



franandaj said:


> Then the Mad Hatter. He wasn't nearly as much fun as the Hatter in October, but you can't win them all.



If I had to wear that ridiculous nose all day, I probably wouldn't be much fun either.



franandaj said:


> This was not a happy visit. At all.



Uh oh.



franandaj said:


> They used to make exceptions for disabled visitors by letting them go in a back door and miss the long queue, however this time they wouldn't budge. She either had to get a manual wheelchair (they didn't say how she was supposed to operate it, they just assumed someone in her party would push, what if she was a solo traveler?) and traverse the queue that way. Well Fran is not someone who will be pushed in a manual chair so she tried to walk the queue, but it was too much for her and about halfway to the entrance she turned back and said, "This is too far for me to walk". I was sad to ride the ride all by myself, but I hadn’t been on it in this version for a long time, so I rode it.



Wow.  I wonder what changed?  That seems like a ridiculous expectation on their behalf.



franandaj said:


> Even though it’s not a great shot, I think that this is my first ever graveyard shot to come out not completely blurry.



Congratulations!



franandaj said:


> The hot air rushing over my face actually made me nauseous.



Yikes.  This doesn't sound good at all.



franandaj said:


> The next day I realized that I was probably dehydrated.



Ah.  Yeah, that'll do it.  Easy to get that way in the Florida heat.



franandaj said:


> Back in the room Fran went right to sleep.



I thought you would, too!


----------



## franandaj

ajf1007 said:


> What a great update Alison! I can't believe that HM was so strict with the wheelchair and that's a great question, what if she was a solo traveler!



That whole HM situation was very upsetting. DL accommodates their guests so much better.



ajf1007 said:


> The rug picture, I had to look at for a couple minutes before I saw the FAB 5! How cool is that!!!



It took us a while too, but it was one of the few cool Disney touches we noticed.



ajf1007 said:


> I hope you guys are well and safe!



We are staying pretty safe and put. We only go out for grocery trips and the post office. We've been doing some takeout and curbside pickup, but we've rarely seen other people, and interacted live with people.



ajf1007 said:


> Looking forward to the next update while I kill time until my Labor Day trip to the Riviera! It will certainly be a different kind of trip but we're going to make the most of it!



The next update is all ready to go. I just need to keep up on replies! Catching up there is my biggest problem. Then again I'm trying to keep up on the few folks who are still writing TRs.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Yeah, Gale seems to be getting older and less reliable.....


Well dang! 



franandaj said:


> I usually like my leftovers just to be the soup. Turns out I got a bunch of leftovers, a second Shabu meal and my soup and half of Fran's soup.


That's a lot!



franandaj said:


> Well I didn't mention that state taxes.



It's California; there will ALWAYS be those. And high ones at that. 



franandaj said:


> At this point with everything thats been going on i think we're in for a serious spike.



A spike was always  going to happen.  That was predicted and prapared for. Time will tell if the phased openings keep it from overwhelming the hospitals. I am hopeful they will especially now that it's been determined that asymptomatic transmission is very rare. 



franandaj said:


> I doubt it. The cough was way too soin.6



I think there is growing evidence of it being around LONG  before March- even prior to the New Year. 



franandaj said:


> Well light rarely applies to dessert.



This is a truism! 


franandaj said:


> We got out of the room only about 10-15 minutes late, but we made up for that because as soon as we pulled up to the bus stop a MK bus arrived. I heard someone say one of the nicest things I've heard from another guest. A father said to his daughter. "Hold on sweetie, we have to let the people who need the ramp get on first." Wow! Maybe not everyone is glaring at us!



Awww, that is so nice!  


franandaj said:


> As we were leaving, a nice lady offered to take a picture of the two of us since we didn’t get any together with the characters.



And it's a good one too!



franandaj said:


> Our first FP was for HM. They used to make exceptions for disabled visitors by letting them go in a back door and miss the long queue, however this time they wouldn't budge. She either had to get a manual wheelchair (they didn't say how she was supposed to operate it, they just assumed someone in her party would push, what if she was a solo traveler?) and traverse the queue that way. Well Fran is not someone who will be pushed in a manual chair so she tried to walk the queue, but it was too much for her and about halfway to the entrance she turned back and said, "This is too far for me to walk". I was sad to ride the ride all by myself, but I hadn’t been on it in this version for a long time, so I rode it.



This makes me angry. How on earth is someone, like you say, a solo traveler supposed to enjoy the attraction? 



franandaj said:


>



LOVE how this shot came out!!! WOW! The sepia tones are  amazing! Did you add that effect? 



franandaj said:


> She insisted I go on it and tried to get me to do it twice. Once was plenty. The hot air rushing over my face actually made me nauseous. Really on 7DMT? So we turned around and went back to the room. The next day I realized that I was probably dehydrated. I didn’t drink any water, just POG and coffee during our breakfast at 1900 PF, and so being full, and not hydrated made me feel icky.



Oh oh.  Not a good combination.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> That really is nice to hear!! Much better than the alternative sighing and turning their noses up at people who are waiting with their scooters.



OK, so I'm not imagining it!  @pkondz keeps asking me if people really do this, and I haven't seen it as much as I used to, and I started questioning myself as to whether I was making it all up.



missjackiemcg said:


> Lord knows I've seen enough of that. I never understand it either. We'll all make it to the parks eventually, people!



I just don't even look at the people anymore, and just bury myself in my phone until the driver is ready for me.



missjackiemcg said:


> I was going to say how adorable this dress is based on this first photo, and I fell more in love with it as I saw the rest of it!! Love that it's an Aristocats dress! I'd never seen it before. I can't make out what it says around the neck, but it's just the cutest!



It came out in December I think and I bought it and the corresponding purses the second day it was available.  The Aristocats is one of my favorite movies.  Around the neck it says, "Because I'm a lady! That's why!"



missjackiemcg said:


> Such a sweet picture!! Great way to end your last MK day, after the unpleasant HM experience and then not feeling well on top of it!



I'm a good actress!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> OK, so I'm not imagining it! @pkondz keeps asking me if people really do this, and I haven't seen it as much as I used to, and I started questioning myself as to whether I was making it all up.


There will always be ignorant people, unfortunately. People who get angry because they have to stand in line, or because the bus doesn't drop them off at their door instead of the main building. People who... oh... nevermind. You know the type. I categorize people turning their noses up at a person with a disability getting on a bus in about the same category.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Hope you both _can_ get there and _do_ get there some day.



Me too. Like you I'm not planning anything. At all. We haven't even gone to a restaurant for dine in, and that opened up two weeks ago.



pkondz said:


> It's sitting by my kitchen phone as we speak.



What is this "kitchen phone" you speak of?  I have a vague recollection of such a thing in my youth....



pkondz said:


> Man bites dog! News at 11!
> 
> Have you ever seen the movie, Best In Show?



No. I haven'. But I feel like I should add that to my quarantine movie list,  in honor of Fred Willard.



pkondz said:


> I had a V8 about a week ago. I thought of you!



Awww. Thanks.   We have it nearly every day.



pkondz said:


> You guys go at least once each trip, don't you?



The only one we didn't (since discovering it) was the cruise trip we had to cut short due to her wanting to come home to see John Williams.



pkondz said:


> Well halleluiah! Finally a good experience for you guys.
> It _really_ bothers me that you feel you get dirty looks.



I was actually astonished to hear that. I should have turned around and thanked him, but I was so stunned I didn't know what to say.



pkondz said:


> Unless I'm mistaken, you have to go through security to get _on_ the path to the Contemporary. So (if that's the case) it wouldn't save you time.



I'm pretty sure there was some way to get to the Contemporary without having to do security. Maybe by taking those crosswalks near your writing "Path to CR".



pkondz said:


> Cute shot of the two of you. Practically perfect!



Awwww.... Indubitably



pkondz said:


> As did Fran, of course.
> Some day I have to try this soup you keep raving about.



The recipe is on my cookbook website.



pkondz said:


> Because Fran is smart.
> 
> I _have_ to stop saying that.
> 
> 
> Nah.



 



pkondz said:


> What?!?!??!?!?!



I know. Epic fail. Hangs head in shame.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm...
> It's easy to armchair quarterback, but...
> "Oh, thank you for offering to push the wheelchair for us! That's very generous of you... What's that? You aren't going to push it? Oh, so someone at the wheelchair rental will? No? So just to get my facts right, you are saying that you will not allow disabled guests to ride HM. Thank you, I'll let guest services know how informative you were!"
> 
> You may have guessed this ticks me off.



They handle this so much better in Anaheim.



pkondz said:


> You got a lot of really great shots!



Thanks!



pkondz said:


> Yet, you seem happy enough in the photos.



It was still fun, but once I got off the ride, the queasiness amplified. 



pkondz said:


> Cute shots of you guys. Especially the last one.



Thanks.



pkondz said:


> There will always be ignorant people, unfortunately. People who get angry because they have to stand in line, or because the bus doesn't drop them off at their door instead of the main building. People who... oh... nevermind. You know the type. I categorize people turning their noses up at a person with a disability getting on a bus in about the same category.



Which is why I generally ignore them and bury myself in my phone or tablet until its my time to load.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Absolutely love that dress!



Thanks! I may have another opportunity to wear it in a little over a month!



tiggrbaby said:


> Not very magical treatment at HM!



Not at all. Anaheim handles it much better.



tiggrbaby said:


> Lovely picture of the two of you in front of the castle!



Thanks!


----------



## Paulines

Coming out of lurkdom to say, I am addicted to your trip reports! I’ve read 4 or 5 of them so far, one each night before going to sleep. Your reports are sweet, funny and I always learn a thing or two, whether Disney related or other (loved your steamboat museum post(s))

So angry about how the Haunted Mansion treated Fran! Not nice!!!

Keep on doing your thing!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> I looked out the window and it was REALLY foggy, remember the view from the day before?



Really is right, wowzas!!



franandaj said:


> one of the stories was who was going to win "Best in Show" at the Westminister Dog Show.



Oddly, I enjoy watching Westminster if I happen to catch it.



franandaj said:


> A father said to his daughter. "Hold on sweetie, we have to let the people who need the ramp get on first."



Nice! D would be just the same.



franandaj said:


>


Yesss! I've been waiting for this dress! It's a nice style on you!



franandaj said:


> Pooh was quick on her heels so I waited for him.



Awww! and thanks Fran for catching the bottom of the dress- so pretty!



franandaj said:


>



Nice little taster of good stuff.



franandaj said:


>



I really gotta try making it one of these days.




franandaj said:


> Then the Mad Hatter. He wasn't nearly as much fun as the Hatter in October, but you can't win them all.



He looks like he likes the dress too!



franandaj said:


> They used to make exceptions for disabled visitors by letting them go in a back door and miss the long queue



Wow! No way I would have been able to walk it the time I was at MK, I  remember that D was able to push me right up, but ya what about those that can't, or are alone??



franandaj said:


>



This totally cracked me up!!



franandaj said:


> Even though it’s not a great shot, I think that this is my first ever graveyard shot to come out not completely blurry.



Nice work!




franandaj said:


>



Forced smile 



franandaj said:


>



Nice one, and the money shot of the dress! Is Fran wearing a Toads hat?


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


> OK, so I'm not imagining it! @pkondz keeps asking me if people really do this, and I haven't seen it as much as I used to, and I started questioning myself as to whether I was making it all up.


A sad reality, unfortunately!!  



franandaj said:


> Around the neck it says, "Because I'm a lady! That's why!"


LOVE that!!!!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Me too. Like you I'm not planning anything. At all. We haven't even gone to a restaurant for dine in, and that opened up two weeks ago.


I did go the other day. I had told Vanessa (vamassey1) that I'd try the spicy chicken, so I did. I ate inside. And... it felt strangely wonderful.


franandaj said:


> What is this "kitchen phone" you speak of? I have a vague recollection of such a thing in my youth....





franandaj said:


> No. I haven'. But I feel like I should add that to my quarantine movie list, in honor of Fred Willard.


Good idea. He was pretty funny in that.


franandaj said:


> The only one we didn't (since discovering it) was the cruise trip we had to cut short due to her wanting to come home to see John Williams.


Right. But you cut it short, not like you skipped it while being able to go still.


franandaj said:


> I was actually astonished to hear that. I should have turned around and thanked him, but I was so stunned I didn't know what to say.


I get that. 


franandaj said:


> I'm pretty sure there was some way to get to the Contemporary without having to do security. Maybe by taking those crosswalks near your writing "Path to CR".


I see those now. I got the feeling that they were for bus staff. But maybe you're right. I tried doing a Google street view, but there's none there.


franandaj said:


> The recipe is on my cookbook website.


It's not the same, but thanks. 


franandaj said:


> They handle this so much better in Anaheim.


Obviously. They let you on!


franandaj said:


> It was still fun, but once I got off the ride, the queasiness amplified.


Ah.


franandaj said:


> Which is why I generally ignore them and bury myself in my phone or tablet until its my time to load.


Probably a good idea. Certainly arguing with them would be a waste of time.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> That's an understatement! Wish the news was that boring now.



Really!  However, I don't see it letting up anytime soon.  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ugh. I hope this is one thing they've worked on addressing during the break. Every security line is terrible.



Well, if they open at 10-25% of capacity, security shouldn't be a problem.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> If I had to wear that ridiculous nose all day, I probably wouldn't be much fun either.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow. I wonder what changed? That seems like a ridiculous expectation on their behalf.



I have no idea, but year, it seems absolutely ridiculous.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yikes. This doesn't sound good at all.



No, I didn't feel very good.  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ah. Yeah, that'll do it. Easy to get that way in the Florida heat.



I drank a lot of water on the bus ride home.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I thought you would, too!



I had a plan/mission coming up, you'll see in the next update.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> It's California; there will ALWAYS be those. And high ones at that.



 



Steppesister said:


> Awww, that is so nice!



It took me completely by surprise!



Steppesister said:


> And it's a good one too!



Thanks!



Steppesister said:


> This makes me angry. How on earth is someone, like you say, a solo traveler supposed to enjoy the attraction?



Yeah, I was parking my scooter while this transpired.  They couldn't have known whether or not she had someone with her.



Steppesister said:


> LOVE how this shot came out!!! WOW! The sepia tones are amazing! Did you add that effect?



Actually I didn't do anything. The only adjustments that I make to my shots are cropping, or taking out people or other unwanted items.  I don't adjust the lighting.  Well maybe I will brighten up a shot if it's too dark, but that's it.



Steppesister said:


> Oh oh.  Not a good combination.



No, but I pounded the water on the way back to the room so that helped.


----------



## franandaj

Paulines said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to say, I am addicted to your trip reports!







Paulines said:


> I’ve read 4 or 5 of them so far, one each night before going to sleep. Your reports are sweet, funny and I always learn a thing or two, whether Disney related or other (loved your steamboat museum post(s))



Wow!  That's dedication!  I had forgotten about that steamboat museum and that was only two years ago!  



Paulines said:


> So angry about how the Haunted Mansion treated Fran! Not nice!!!



No, it was handled very poorly.



Paulines said:


> Keep on doing your thing!❤


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Really is right, wowzas!!



What a difference a day makes!



DnA2010 said:


> Oddly, I enjoy watching Westminster if I happen to catch it.



I'm not really a dog person.  Don't dislike them, just not so big on being jumped on. Cats are OK.



DnA2010 said:


> Nice! D would be just the same.



That's nice to know that there are people out there that are not annoyed with us.



DnA2010 said:


> Yesss! I've been waiting for this dress! It's a nice style on you!



Thanks! I'd been waiting a while to wear it, I can't wait to wear it again!



DnA2010 said:


> Awww! and thanks Fran for catching the bottom of the dress- so pretty!



Sometimes, she is good about that and sometimes she is oblivious



DnA2010 said:


> Nice little taster of good stuff.



Sure wish I could go up to a buffet and a get a little of each of that without having to cook it myself. 



DnA2010 said:


> I really gotta try making it one of these days.



I just made it last weekend.  I blew out the motor of my fancy schmancy Cuisinart blender.  Luckily I still have my blender from college that works just fine.  Fran is going to look for a new Ninja cooking blender for me.



DnA2010 said:


> He looks like he likes the dress too!



I'm not so sure he even noticed it.....he was an apathetic Mad Hatter.  The one last Fall was more fun.



DnA2010 said:


> Wow! No way I would have been able to walk it the time I was at MK, I remember that D was able to push me right up, but ya what about those that can't, or are alone??



Obviously they only cater to people in families or groups.



DnA2010 said:


> This totally cracked me up!!



I think I know where the photo is now, but clearly I was more absorbed in other things.....



DnA2010 said:


> Nice work!



Thanks!



DnA2010 said:


> Forced smile



It's hard not to smile on that ride, but I still felt queasy.



DnA2010 said:


> Nice one, and the money shot of the dress! Is Fran wearing a Toads hat?



Yes, she is wearing a Toad Hat.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> A sad reality, unfortunately!!



It's sad how many people are entitled.



missjackiemcg said:


> LOVE that!!!!



It's such a cute dress!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I did go the other day. I had told Vanessa (vamassey1) that I'd try the spicy chicken, so I did. I ate inside. And... it felt strangely wonderful.



Where'd ya go?   



pkondz said:


> Good idea. He was pretty funny in that.



I'll put it on my list!



pkondz said:


> Right. But you cut it short, not like you skipped it while being able to go still.



Correct.



pkondz said:


> I see those now. I got the feeling that they were for bus staff. But maybe you're right. I tried doing a Google street view, but there's none there.



Not sure, but it's not like we can send anyone to scout it out for us.  



pkondz said:


> It's not the same, but thanks.



It's as close as we're going to get for a long long time.



pkondz said:


> Obviously. They let you on!







pkondz said:


> Probably a good idea. Certainly arguing with them would be a waste of time.



And if I stared them down, I'm afraid they would start saying mean things, and I don't like that.


----------



## franandaj

If you remember, I wasn’t feeling so good at the MK and so we decided to return to the room. Back there Fran went right to sleep. I sat around and played Mahjong until just before 4PM. We had tickets to Moonlight Magic at the Animal Kingdom courtesy of DVC. Michael and his brother Gary were going to round out our party of four, and they were picking me up to go get the tickets ahead of time.  They wanted to enter the park just as soon as their wristbands made the tickets active at 6PM, since this was the first year in decades that Michael hasn’t had a Disney pass. So we drove to AK and picked up three of our wristbands and meal vouchers, but since Fran wasn't present she would have to pick hers up at the hotel. You could get them there starting at 6PM.

I went back up to the room, and woke her up. The setting sun gave an interesting light to the scenery.





We headed out of the room, picked up her band and were on our way via the bus to AK. The sun was setting as we waited for our bus to arrive.





When we got there it was quite dark and nearly 7PM which was the time when the meal vouchers were valid. We had a choice of Flame Tree, Pizzasafari, Satuli Canteen, or Restaurantosaurus for our complimentary dinner. To me there was only one choice: Flame Tree. Evidently many other people felt the same because there was a long line. It moved quickly though. We got a half chicken plate and a ribs plate and split them both. 





The only unfortunate thing was that our table was essentially in the dark so we could hardly see our food while we were eating. I had grabbed some tin foil sheets from the counter when we picked up our food, so I wrapped up the leftover meat to take with us. Fran had a baggie so it worked out well.

She asked if I wanted to ride Everest and I said sure. Unfortunately it was down when we got there, but we could hear the cars on the tracks testing, so we knew it wouldn't take long. And then soon I was riding. I forgot my MB on the first ride so I didn't get the picture. Boy is Everest a trip in the dark! So much fun!









They had the area nicely illuminated.





And I decided that a Blue Drink was in order!





At first we weren't going to do the Safari, Michael sent me a text that they had just done this and told us  it was cool. We got on shortly before 10PM when it closed. I didn't have the phone camera ready to take any shots, honestly I didn't think they would come out. But evidently those sleeping animatronic lions are replaced with active live counterparts at night, because they were roaming around like prowling animals. Several of the other species were quite active as well. It was pretty neat to do this after hours after all!

When we got off the ride Michael and Gary found us and we chatted for a bit. They were going to see the special showing of Rivers of Light while we had already decided on our plan for the rest of the night. Mickey Bars and Flight of passage. They were giving out the Mickey bars in Starbucks next to Africa and they were handing them out two at a time!





I ate one on our way to FoP and knew that was all I could do, otherwise I would crash hard. So I gave Fran my other bar and while I went on the ride, she ended up eating three Mickey Bars!  

The wait was 20 minutes, and they sent us through the regular queue. I'd never been through there before and it was pretty neat. But not 180 minutes wait neat.









































The ride was great as always. 

The Mickey bar I ate was definitely getting to me. By now it was 11:20, my eyelids were drooping and I had to admit that I was tired. We had agreed earlier in the day that we did not want to stay all the way until midnight so we headed to the bus stop. It took forever for the bus to get there. Way longer than 20 minutes and I laid my head down on my tiller and almost fell asleep.

Back in the room, I plugged in the scooters and took my bath before going to bed.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Glad you felt better to enjoy the evening at AK!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Glad you felt better to enjoy the evening at AK!



Sometimes simple water is the best cure.


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


> And I decided that a Blue Drink was in order!


YUmmmmmm.  A blue drink at Disney is always in order!!! I prefer when they come with a glow cube, too 



franandaj said:


> So I gave Fran my other bar and while I went on the ride, she ended up eating three Mickey Bars!


Oh, this is my husband to a T!!!  One is about all I can handle, and he is always willing to finish mine up or my son's, too!! 



franandaj said:


> The wait was 20 minutes, and they sent us through the regular queue. I'd never been through there before and it was pretty neat. But not 180 minutes wait neat.


Would you believe I have never been through the actual queue for this attraction!!?  20 minutes sounds OK, but I agree, if I don't have a FP, there's no way I'm waiting 180 minutes.  Wondering how it will be when we're there in July.  Hoping to check out the full queue with a short wait, for sure!


----------



## carejo

Hi Alyson! I echo Paulines quote as I am also coming out of lukdom to say how much I enjoy your reports. I love your attention to details, your planning , your cooking talents and how you can make just an english muffin and a V 8 look appetizing.  I also feel like I learn something . I thank you and other trip writers who keep us entertained while we are trying to figure out how to continue to enjoy our  " Happiest Place on Earth'!  Good thoughts to you and Fran. Joanne


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Where'd ya go?


Whoopsie! Here I give the story without even saying the main plot point.
Went to Popeye's. It's relatively new here.


franandaj said:


> Not sure, but it's not like we can send anyone to scout it out for us.


Not yet, anyway.


franandaj said:


> It's as close as we're going to get for a long long time.


<sigh> Yeah... 


franandaj said:


> And if I stared them down, I'm afraid they would start saying mean things, and I don't like that.


No one does. Probably best to ignore the ignorant.


franandaj said:


> The sun was setting as we waited for our bus to arrive.


Pretty sky. 


franandaj said:


> We had a choice of Flame Tree, Pizzasafari, Satuli Canteen, or Restaurantosaurus for our complimentary dinner. To me there was only one choice: Flame Tree.


Interesting. I know a lot of people who'd pick Satuli as their first choice (not mine.) And I'm _sure _you've mentioned enjoying a good burger at Restaurantosaurus before.


franandaj said:


> We got a half chicken plate and a ribs plate and split them both.


That looks good!


franandaj said:


> I had grabbed some tin foil sheets from the counter


Wait. What? Are they just there? Or did you ask for some?


franandaj said:


> Boy is Everest a trip in the dark! So much fun!


Must remember this. 


franandaj said:


> But evidently those sleeping animatronic lions are replaced with active live counterparts at night, because they were roaming around like prowling animals.


Oh! Good to know!


franandaj said:


> Several of the other species were quite active as well. It was pretty neat to do this after hours after all!


I'll have to keep an eye out for future after hours events (if offered) at AK.


franandaj said:


> They were giving out the Mickey bars in Starbucks next to Africa and they were handing them out two at a time!


Niiiice.


franandaj said:


> So I gave Fran my other bar and while I went on the ride, she ended up eating three Mickey Bars!


 Well, they'd just melt!


franandaj said:


> The wait was 20 minutes, and they sent us through the regular queue. I'd never been through there before and it was pretty neat. But not 180 minutes wait neat.


I've never seen it either. Thanks for the photos. 


franandaj said:


> The Mickey bar I ate was definitely getting to me.


You mentioned that before... and I'm pretty sure I asked you about it. But... sorry, I forget. Ice cream makes you sleepy?


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> We had a choice of Flame Tree, Pizzasafari, Satuli Canteen, or Restaurantosaurus for our complimentary dinner. To me there was only one choice: Flame Tree.



You're darn right!



franandaj said:


> Boy is Everest a trip in the dark! So much fun!



You know, I don't think I've ever tried it at night.  I'll have to make a note.



franandaj said:


> But evidently those sleeping animatronic lions are replaced with active live counterparts at night, because they were roaming around like prowling animals.



So that's the secret.  Interesting.



franandaj said:


> So I gave Fran my other bar and while I went on the ride, she ended up eating three Mickey Bars!



She does love her ice cream!



franandaj said:


> The wait was 20 minutes, and they sent us through the regular queue. I'd never been through there before and it was pretty neat. But not 180 minutes wait neat.



Looks pretty cool.  I've never seen it, but would definitely walk through for 20 minutes.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> YUmmmmmm. A blue drink at Disney is always in order!!! I prefer when they come with a glow cube, too



I have soooo many of those glow cubes floating around my house....   



missjackiemcg said:


> Oh, this is my husband to a T!!! One is about all I can handle, and he is always willing to finish mine up or my son's, too!!



She really does like her ice cream. One of my TRs was "Do we really need more ice cream?" Cause we stayed at the BC, and not only did we get sundaes at Beaches and Cream, but we also visited Ample Creamery several times, plus we hit a few other ice cream places.



missjackiemcg said:


> Would you believe I have never been through the actual queue for this attraction!!?



I think most people on the DIS haven't been through the queue. We all know better to make FP.



missjackiemcg said:


> 20 minutes sounds OK, but I agree, if I don't have a FP, there's no way I'm waiting 180 minutes. Wondering how it will be when we're there in July. Hoping to check out the full queue with a short wait, for sure!



I can't wait to hear about your trip! Did you make your reservations yesterday?

It will be strange with limited attendance in the parks, but I think it will be nice with less people!


----------



## Paulines

Thank you for the welcome, it seems you have a New England fan club

The closest I’ve ever been to a Mickey Bar was buying a large carton at BJs. I’ve never had one at Disney, so not sure they’re the same, but they are good!

Trying to muddle my way through this ‘new’ Disney, my DD and I are overdue for a trip. Is anyone else confused, overwhelmed, disappointed in trying to book a trip?


----------



## franandaj

carejo said:


> Hi Alyson! I echo Paulines quote as I am also coming out of lukdom to say how much I enjoy your reports.



 


I'm glad you came out of lurkdom! So nice to have people chiming in.

One little note, I am Alison with an "i" which is good to note because in an upcoming bonus feature Allyson with a "y" will be making a cameo!



carejo said:


> I love your attention to details, your planning , your cooking talents and how you can make just an english muffin and a V 8 look appetizing.



Well thank you!



carejo said:


> I also feel like I learn something . I thank you and other trip writers who keep us entertained while we are trying to figure out how to continue to enjoy our " Happiest Place



That's why I like to share. Everyone researches different things on their own. I've read so many helpful things on people's TRs. I never would have known about Strawberry Soup if I hadn't read about it on a TR!


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


> I can't wait to hear about your trip! Did you make your reservations yesterday?
> 
> It will be strange with limited attendance in the parks, but I think it will be nice with less people!


Yes!  We were lucky enough to get park reservations for every day of our trip on exactly the days I had planned/hoped for!  

Part of me is a little sad at the things we love that won't be part of this trip, BUT the other part of me is really excited for the adventure that the trip will be!  I'm not sure what to expect in some ways, which is absolutely different than our usual trips that are planned to the minute by my type A-self! 

I will definitely do a TR for this one!!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Whoopsie! Here I give the story without even saying the main plot point.
> Went to Popeye's. It's relatively new here.



That's daring of you!  We can't eat there, the chicken is too spicy for us.



pkondz said:


> <sigh> Yeah...



And yet they are reopening.....



pkondz said:


> No one does. Probably best to ignore the ignorant.



Either that or vote them out.....



pkondz said:


> Interesting. I know a lot of people who'd pick Satuli as their first choice (not mine.) And I'm _sure _you've mentioned enjoying a good burger at Restaurantosaurus before.



I know there is a big Satuli crowd reading here (or they used to be not sure where they went), and the burger at Restaurantosaurus was OK, it had a nice toppings bar.  But I think the last time I ate at Flame Tree was with my parents in 2010.



pkondz said:


> That looks good!



It sure was!



pkondz said:


> Wait. What? Are they just there? Or did you ask for some?



I think there was a box on the pick up counter and you could just grab as many sheets as you wanted.  I knew that we couldn't finish two full dinner orders, so I planned ahead.



pkondz said:


> Must remember this.



Rarely am I in a theme park after dark unless I'm having dinner, so riding an outdoor roller coaster was a real treat for me.  I've heard that Incredicoaster is fun late at night too....sometime......



pkondz said:


> Oh! Good to know!
> I'll have to keep an eye out for future after hours events (if offered) at AK.



Hopefully they will get back to offering these events.



pkondz said:


> Niiiice.



Yes they were very generous.



pkondz said:


> Well, they'd just melt!



I know that's why I felt bad they gave us two!  Luckily Fran was up to the challenge!



pkondz said:


> I've never seen it either. Thanks for the photos.



Most of us here on the DIS know to get FP so as to avoid the long waits.



pkondz said:


> You mentioned that before... and I'm pretty sure I asked you about it. But... sorry, I forget. Ice cream makes you sleepy?



Well sleepy is one part. Sometimes I get an upset stomach. I drank some chocolate milk, and had a queasy feeling in my tummy for quite a while. I think large amounts of sugar and lactose affect me adversely.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> You're darn right!



 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You know, I don't think I've ever tried it at night. I'll have to make a note.



AK usually closes at dark, so normally one doesn't get the chance.  Now with things that are happening at night at that park.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> So that's the secret. Interesting.



Yes, evidently they are animatronics by day, live animals at night!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> She does love her ice cream!



She sure does!  Even at home, she's still enjoying it practically nightly.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Looks pretty cool. I've never seen it, but would definitely walk through for 20 minutes.



The line never really stopped, so it was pretty amusing the whole way through.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> That's daring of you! We can't eat there, the chicken is too spicy for us.


Really? I've been twice now and tried their spicy and regular and didn't find even the spicy to be very spicy. But! The menu is a bit different (different sides) so I wonder if they tone down the spice for us northerners?


franandaj said:


> And yet they are reopening.....


Not to me they ain't.


franandaj said:


> Either that or vote them out.....


 


franandaj said:


> I know there is a big Satuli crowd reading here (or they used to be not sure where they went), and the burger at Restaurantosaurus was OK, it had a nice toppings bar. But I think the last time I ate at Flame Tree was with my parents in 2010.


Long time for you! After seeing your photo, I've got a hankering to return. Been a bit for me, too.


franandaj said:


> I think there was a box on the pick up counter and you could just grab as many sheets as you wanted.


Huh!


franandaj said:


> I've heard that Incredicoaster is fun late at night too....sometime......


You're a bit closer to that one. 


franandaj said:


> I know that's why I felt bad they gave us two! Luckily Fran was up to the challenge!





franandaj said:


> Most of us here on the DIS know to get FP so as to avoid the long waits.


Yep. Not waiting 3 hours in line just to see... a line. I don't care what they have in it.


franandaj said:


> Well sleepy is one part. Sometimes I get an upset stomach. I drank some chocolate milk, and had a queasy feeling in my tummy for quite a while. I think large amounts of sugar and lactose affect me adversely.


Okay. I have felt the same after chocolate milk a couple of times too, so get that.


----------



## franandaj

Paulines said:


> Thank you for the welcome, it seems you have a New England fan club



Very glad to have you here!  Where in New England are you?  I was born in Boston and went back for several weeks every summer to stay with my grandparents.  We spent a lot of time at their house on the Cape as well as in town.



Paulines said:


> The closest I’ve ever been to a Mickey Bar was buying a large carton at BJs. I’ve never had one at Disney, so not sure they’re the same, but they are good!



They sold them in large cartons?  We don't have BJs out here, but I got them at Ralphs (Kroger) and they came in six packs for around $7-8.  The only difference between the store bought ones and the ones in the parks is the store bought ones were 3oz while the ones in the park are 4oz.  I think the chocolate coating on the ones in the park are a little thicker, but the flavors are pretty much identical.



Paulines said:


> Trying to muddle my way through this ‘new’ Disney, my DD and I are overdue for a trip. Is anyone else confused, overwhelmed, disappointed in trying to book a trip?



I'm not even trying to book anything (for myself).  We've decided we won't be back at WDW until Sept/Oct 2021.  So yesterday I rented out the rest of my 2020 BCV points to two different sets of folks through one of the rental sites.  I still have some points at the WL to rent out, but there isn't anyone looking right now.

I do have some nights in March booked at the Grand Californian, and we'll probably make a few day trips out there once the parks open up, but no word on that beyond the date they plan on opening up in July.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> Yes! We were lucky enough to get park reservations for every day of our trip on exactly the days I had planned/hoped for!



Good for you!  I heard that it was nightmare trying to get through to the site.  I made the mistake of trying to go there and look up a menu item for something I was writing for the next update and couldn't even get on.  Luckily Allears had the information that I was looking for.



missjackiemcg said:


> Part of me is a little sad at the things we love that won't be part of this trip, BUT the other part of me is really excited for the adventure that the trip will be! I'm not sure what to expect in some ways, which is absolutely different than our usual trips that are planned to the minute by my type A-self!



I was sad to see that none of the signature restaurants were opening back up.  Sounds like the whole process of getting restaurant reservations is crazy, since you have to have a park reservation just to get one for a restaurant.  For me dining is a big part of my experience, so I would really miss a lot of the places that are closed.  And the shows too, I really like those for escaping the hot sun.



missjackiemcg said:


> I will definitely do a TR for this one!!!



I am looking forward to reading it!  It will be such a different experience!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Really? I've been twice now and tried their spicy and regular and didn't find even the spicy to be very spicy. But! The menu is a bit different (different sides) so I wonder if they tone down the spice for us northerners?



Well, I don't think I had a problem with it, but Fran definitely seems to think it is too spicy for her.



pkondz said:


> Long time for you! After seeing your photo, I've got a hankering to return. Been a bit for me, too.



I'm hoping we will be back sooner rather than later, then again we won't be back to WDW for over a year now.  I'm sure glad we went in February!



pkondz said:


> You're a bit closer to that one.



Yes, we will be back to that one much sooner.



pkondz said:


> Yep. Not waiting 3 hours in line just to see... a line. I don't care what they have in it.



Yeah, I can't believe that we waited 4 hours to get her tiki mug!  The things we do for our loved ones.  



pkondz said:


> Okay. I have felt the same after chocolate milk a couple of times too, so get that.



Why do the things that taste so good do such horrible things?


----------



## franandaj

Day 10


We woke up to find this on the door.





We were pretty tired from our late night before, but we were up and having breakfast by 9:30AM. This would be my last day drinking out of my Tigger mug as I needed to get the OL basically ready to seal up in the morning.





I made her a bacon sandwich with the last of the bacon.





Today I _really_ needed to get packing since our DME would be leaving at 8:55AM the next day. I tossed a last load of laundry in the washer and got out all the remaining suitcases filling them one by one.

I put away just about everything we wouldn't need in the first three suitcases and left the last one for all the rest of the stuff like bathroom bags, dirty clothes from today, shoes, etc.

By 11AM we were nearly packed and out the door to AK. I had FP for the same three rides we went on the night before! At least I'm consistent!

We waited about 15 minutes for the bus and were on our way into the park just as our FP for the safari opened. This helped Fran's mood a little bit. She got excited as we saw the various animals throughout the journey. Excuse the many pictures.









































We had to wait a bit before we could go back to the station and unload. When we got off the safari, my FPs for FoP had opened up, so we headed to Pandora. On the way there she asked where I wanted to have lunch. I suggested the Yak and Yeti QS. She confused that with Harambe Market. Questioning why I always want to dine there.

I parked the scooter and went on the ride. Fran decided to check out the menu at Satuli Canteen, but she didn’t find anything she wanted.  She ended up waiting it out in the store. I found her enjoying the AC (it was warm and muggy out), and I went on the ride a second time.

All that walking through the queue definitely built up my appetite. I had an hour and a half until my last FP expired. And here is where I messed up. We probably even went right past Eight Spoons, I could have tried their Mac and Cheese! But I totally forgot about it. Instead we headed over to Yak and Yeti QS. 

We got an order of Honey Garlic Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, and a pork egg roll.





My plate:





That was perfect for both of us and I was pleasantly full, but not so much that I couldn't ride Everest a couple times.





Not sure what happened to my other picture….

After the two rides we moseyed out of the park via the gift stores in front, where I ran into Kevin.













Before we left the park, our last in Orlando (for a while, little did we know), I convinced her to take some PP pictures. At least I got some in each of the four parks.





















RAWR!





While I was riding Everest Fran had picked a donut similar to the one we tried to get about a week ago. We split it while we waited for the bus, which wasn't very long at all.





When we got back to the hotel, there was a movie shoot going on. Probably a commercial or something for the in room TV. We are used to seeing this kind of thing at home, but not on vacation.





Pretty soon we were back in the room. It was clear that we weren't going anywhere this evening. We were both tired. Fran was super cranky. In fact she was for most of the trip. There were extenuating circumstances related to the band which was causing her grief. Luckily, being away for so long gave her a chance to chill out and process the situation. She still wasn't happy, but she was no longer at the proverbial edge, like she was when we left.

So here's one of the complaints about this resort before I give my full overview. When we decided to just make do with food we had in the room for dinner, I wanted a vegetable to go with it, maybe a side salad. I went down to the QS hoping to find something small to bring back to the room.

These were my choices:

Tuna Niçoise Salad

Seared Rare Tuna on Crispy Greens tossed with Potatoes, Hard-boiled Egg, and a Dijon Vinaigrette

$13.99

Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

Mixed Greens topped with Fresh Mozzarella Slices and Wedge Tomatoes finished with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

$9.49

Greek Salad

Crispy Greens tossed with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onion, and Feta finished with a Vinaigrette Dressing; $12.99 to add chicken; $13.99 to add shrimp

$9.99

And they were all HUGE! I just wanted a little something to go with what we already had. Maybe just a green salad for $3.99, oh wait we're at Disney, $5.99.  So I gave up and decided who needs vegetables on vacation.

Back in the room, I heated up our leftovers of chicken and ribs from the night before and I tried to make a package of noodles that I'd brought along. 





I don't know if it was the pan or the stove (the pans were pretty cheap), but the noodles just didn't want to cook. Finally I just served them up relatively al dente. It wasn't the greatest dinner but we didn’t feel like going anywhere to get anything more spectacular.





We split the salted caramel truffle cake I got at Toothsome's. It was good but not amazing.





Then the fireworks started at Epcot. Finally we got to see them from our room!







 









I had pretty much packed up everything I could, we needed everything else to get ready in the morning, and I wasn't going to push it with her to pack up her stuff. I took my last bath of the trip and drifted off to sleep.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well, I don't think I had a problem with it, but Fran definitely seems to think it is too spicy for her.


Well, then I guess it is. 
Was thinking of you this morning. It's a beautiful day today, so left early to work and took an alternate/longer route to work. There's a Popeyes being built not far from my house. Thought "Oh! I should tell Alison!" (And Vanessa too.)
But now I'm curious to try Popeyes in the US to see if it's any different. (The chicken I mean, not the sides.)


franandaj said:


> I'm hoping we will be back sooner rather than later, then again we won't be back to WDW for over a year now. I'm sure glad we went in February!





franandaj said:


> Yes, we will be back to that one much sooner.


Yep. Just a _wee bit_ closer. 


franandaj said:


> Yeah, I can't believe that we waited 4 hours to get her tiki mug! The things we do for our loved ones.



Then again, I waited... I think it was 3 hours... in the rain... just for some TR fodder. 


franandaj said:


> Why do the things that taste so good do such horrible things?


Totally not fair. It's probably because we led bad past lives.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We woke up to find this on the door.


Ugh. I _hate_ seeing that thing.


franandaj said:


> I made her a bacon sandwich with the last of the bacon.


Just bacon and mayo on white? Or was there more to that?


franandaj said:


> I put away just about everything we wouldn't need in the first three suitcases and left the last one for all the rest of the stuff like bathroom bags, dirty clothes from today, shoes, etc.


Did I ever tell you I think you're very organized?


franandaj said:


> I had FP for the same three rides we went on the night before! At least I'm consistent!


  Apparently so!


franandaj said:


> were on our way into the park just as our FP for the safari opened.


Perfect timing! Love that.


franandaj said:


> Excuse the many pictures.


Really like that first one. 


franandaj said:


> When we got off the safari, my FPs for FoP had opened up,


More great timing. 


franandaj said:


> I suggested the Yak and Yeti QS. She confused that with Harambe Market. Questioning why I always want to dine there.


 _Very_ much not the same thing!


franandaj said:


> And here is where I messed up. We probably even went right past Eight Spoons, I could have tried their Mac and Cheese! But I totally forgot about it.


Oh, no! You still haven't tried it? I love that so much!  


franandaj said:


> We got an order of Honey Garlic Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, and a pork egg roll.


That looks good, though. 


franandaj said:


> I was pleasantly full, but not so much that I couldn't ride Everest a couple times.


 


franandaj said:


> Not sure what happened to my other picture….


What were you doing in it?


franandaj said:


> After the two rides we moseyed out of the park via the gift stores in front, where I ran into Kevin.


I'm always impressed with Kevin. And you got to meet her without a crowd around her!


franandaj said:


> Before we left the park, our last in Orlando (for a while, little did we know),


 


franandaj said:


> I convinced her to take some PP pictures.


Love the one with outstretched arms. 


franandaj said:


> RAWR!


 


franandaj said:


> Fran had picked a donut similar to the one we tried to get about a week ago.


mmmm… looks yummy.


franandaj said:


> When we got back to the hotel, there was a movie shoot going on. Probably a commercial or something for the in room TV. We are used to seeing this kind of thing at home, but not on vacation.


I saw one going on at AK once. Was a bit surprised it was during the day, but maybe it's because kids were involved?


franandaj said:


> Fran was super cranky. In fact she was for most of the trip.


Oh, dear.




franandaj said:


> Luckily, being away for so long gave her a chance to chill out and process the situation. She still wasn't happy, but she was no longer at the proverbial edge, like she was when we left.


Good!


franandaj said:


> I don't know if it was the pan or the stove (the pans were pretty cheap), but the noodles just didn't want to cook


Huh. The pan wasn't conducting heat well, I take it?


franandaj said:


> Then the fireworks started at Epcot. Finally we got to see them from our room!


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


>


Oh, sadness   It always puts a damper on the last day, even though you still have one full day of fun left!



franandaj said:


>


Your safari pics are beautiful.  I love this one!!  Mine are always bumpy/blurry!

Such a bummer about not being able to get a simple salad or vegetable side to go with your meal, but I'm impressed with what you put together!  And for what it's worth, I can't get those noodle dishes to cook at home on the stove we use every day, LOL.

I'm sad that your truffle cupcake wasn't more delicious...it certainly looks like it should have been decadent!!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Well, then I guess it is.
> Was thinking of you this morning. It's a beautiful day today, so left early to work and took an alternate/longer route to work. There's a Popeyes being built not far from my house. Thought "Oh! I should tell Alison!" (And Vanessa too.)
> But now I'm curious to try Popeyes in the US to see if it's any different. (The chicken I mean, not the sides.)



I'm wondering if I should try it again.  It's been a long time since I had any.....spicy chicken is very popular here.  Lots of new places are opening up here, and all of them tout how spicy hot they can serve it.



pkondz said:


> Then again, I waited... I think it was 3 hours... in the rain... just for some TR fodder.



 Yes you did! 



pkondz said:


> Totally not fair. It's probably because we led bad past lives.



That was a non-sequitor!  



pkondz said:


> Ugh. I _hate_ seeing that thing.



It does kind of put a damper on the trip.  Then again the trip I didn't get one sort of made me worry that we wouldn't be able to get to the airport.



pkondz said:


> Just bacon and mayo on white? Or was there more to that?



Yup. That's pretty much it.  Unless the bread is old, then it's made on toast.  She likes things sort of bland.



pkondz said:


> Did I ever tell you I think you're very organized?



No you have not.  Thanks.  With all the chaos in my life and home, I try to organize the things that I can control.



pkondz said:


> Perfect timing! Love that.







pkondz said:


> Really like that first one.



The one with the truck going on it's two week journey?



pkondz said:


> _Very_ much not the same thing!



I know, not sure why she confused those two places!



pkondz said:


> Oh, no! You still haven't tried it? I love that so much!



That's why I was kicking myself after I missed it!



pkondz said:


> That looks good, though.



It did hit the spot!



pkondz said:


> What were you doing in it?



Don't even remember now....



pkondz said:


> I'm always impressed with Kevin. And you got to meet her without a crowd around her!



You of all people should know, the wonders of photoshop!



OMG!  I just noticed that I neglected to remove the kid's finger from the edited shot!  



pkondz said:


> Love the one with outstretched arms.



I was afraid the extra flab on my arms might be showing in that one. 



pkondz said:


> mmmm… looks yummy.



It was!  That's one thing that we haven't had a shortage of in the pandemic!  Donuts are still plentiful, we even waited for half an hour in a line at Krispy Kreme for Fran's free dozen donuts for her birthday.



pkondz said:


> I saw one going on at AK once. Was a bit surprised it was during the day, but maybe it's because kids were involved?



Well they also can't "fake" sunlight.....



pkondz said:


> Oh, dear.



Yeah, the day before the trip, she wanted me to find someone else to go instead of her.



pkondz said:


> Huh. The pan wasn't conducting heat well, I take it?



That must have been it, I can't think of anything else.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> Oh, sadness  It always puts a damper on the last day, even though you still have one full day of fun left!



Funny how everyone hates seeing it, but the one time we didn't get one, it was even more disconcerting because I was afraid we wouldn't be able to get to the airport to get home!   



missjackiemcg said:


> Your safari pics are beautiful. I love this one!! Mine are always bumpy/blurry!



I use a very fast shutter speed, but yes a lot also come out blurry.  I also take a TON of pictures.



missjackiemcg said:


> Such a bummer about not being able to get a simple salad or vegetable side to go with your meal



I know!  You'd think that would be a simple one, but I suppose they want you to purchase the bigger ticket items instead of the small stuff.



missjackiemcg said:


> I'm impressed with what you put together! And for what it's worth, I can't get those noodle dishes to cook at home on the stove we use every day, LOL.



They used to come out really watery for me, and then I started boiling them very hard and letting them sit for 5 minutes, not the 2 minutes they suggest on the package. At home, all my stove top pans are All-Clad or Cordon Bleu, so I'm really spoiled. I couldn't even get this batch to come to a boil!  



missjackiemcg said:


> I'm sad that your truffle cupcake wasn't more delicious...it certainly looks like it should have been decadent!!!



Maybe we waited too long to eat it, but I remember that the frosting also wasn't as tasty as it should have been.


----------



## Paulines

franandaj said:


> Very glad to have you here!  Where in New England are you?  I was born in Boston and went back for several weeks every summer to stay with my grandparents.  We spent a lot of time at their house on the Cape as well as in town.
> 
> We’re in SE MA, not too far from the cape.
> 
> They sold them in large cartons?  We don't have BJs out here, but I got them at Ralphs (Kroger) and they came in six packs for around $7-8.  The only difference between the store bought ones and the ones in the parks is the store bought ones were 3oz while the ones in the park are 4oz.  I think the chocolate coating on the ones in the park are a little thicker, but the flavors are pretty much identical.
> 
> I think the cartons were either 12 or 15 count? I don’t recall the size of the bars. Right now, we’re working our way through some Haagen Dazs bars in the freezer
> 
> I'm not even trying to book anything (for myself).  We've decided we won't be back at WDW until Sept/Oct 2021.  So yesterday I rented out the rest of my 2020 BCV points to two different sets of folks through one of the rental sites.  I still have some points at the WL to rent out, but there isn't anyone looking right now.
> 
> I do have some nights in March booked at the Grand Californian, and we'll probably make a few day trips out there once the parks open up, but no word on that beyond the date they plan on opening up in July.



Nice!!! Never been to DL! DD and I will hold out until more of Epcot’s eateries open up. A big part of our vacation is dining, so that’s that.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I'm wondering if I should try it again. It's been a long time since I had any.....spicy chicken is very popular here. Lots of new places are opening up here, and all of them tout how spicy hot they can serve it.


Don't know about down there, but up here you can chose between spicy or... not.
And the "not" is definitely not spicy at all.


franandaj said:


> Yes you did!


 


franandaj said:


> That was a non-sequitor!


 


franandaj said:


> It does kind of put a damper on the trip. Then again the trip I didn't get one sort of made me worry that we wouldn't be able to get to the airport.


Oh! Dang, that's a good point. I would definitely be worried if I didn't have it. Would also necessitate either a call or a visit to the front desk.


franandaj said:


> Yup. That's pretty much it. Unless the bread is old, then it's made on toast. She likes things sort of bland.


And yet... bacon.


franandaj said:


> No you have not. Thanks. With all the chaos in my life and home, I try to organize the things that I can control.





franandaj said:


> The one with the truck going on it's two week journey?



I _always_ see (and have posted) animal shots. That one is a rarity.


franandaj said:


> That's why I was kicking myself after I missed it!


Make sure you go next time! But be careful. 8 Spoons isn't open very long and they also run out. It's gotten _very_ popular.


franandaj said:


> You of all people should know, the wonders of photoshop!


 True, but every time I've seen her, she's been mobbed with people on all sides. No way to take them all out. At least not without a _lot_ of work.


franandaj said:


> OMG! I just noticed that I neglected to remove the kid's finger from the edited shot!



I didn't notice! Blends in pretty good there.


franandaj said:


> I was afraid the extra flab on my arms might be showing in that one.


Nope!


franandaj said:


> It was! That's one thing that we haven't had a shortage of in the pandemic! Donuts are still plentiful, we even waited for half an hour in a line at Krispy Kreme for Fran's free dozen donuts for her birthday.


I miss Krispy Kreme. And Voodoo.


franandaj said:


> Well they also can't "fake" sunlight.....


Yes they can. Daylight balanced lights.


franandaj said:


> Yeah, the day before the trip, she wanted me to find someone else to go instead of her.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> We had a choice of Flame Tree, Pizzasafari, Satuli Canteen, or Restaurantosaurus





franandaj said:


>





franandaj said:


>


 Sigh- Flame Tree- a little bit of deliciousness that I didn't know about on the day I went to AK...
As you know, my WDW in person time is highly lacking, and we were hoping for a big Florida trip either next year or the year after...wanted to do some sort of cruise/WDW combo, but who knows now..Flame tree would have def been a pic for AK days...we did a buffet the day we were there, I'm having a moment now which one it was without going and searching, but did have some African stuff



franandaj said:


> Boy is Everest a trip in the dark! So much fun!



Couldn't have been that fun given you're catching zz's!



franandaj said:


> nd I decided that a Blue Drink was in order!



hehe I know you love yourself some blue drinks 



franandaj said:


> We got on shortly before 10PM when it closed. I didn't have the phone camera ready to take any shots, honestly I didn't think they would come out. But evidently those sleeping animatronic lions are replaced with active live counterparts at night, because they were roaming around like prowling animals. Several of the other species were quite active as well. It was pretty neat to do this after hours after all!



I didn't know that the ran the Safari during the evening! Glad those animatronics were powered up! Sounds great!



franandaj said:


> Mickey Bars and Flight of passage. They were giving out the Mickey bars in Starbucks next to Africa and they were handing them out two at a time!


Nom nom nom!!



franandaj said:


> So I gave Fran my other bar and while I went on the ride, she ended up eating three Mickey Bars!



I could probably do it- I love love ice cream! 



franandaj said:


>





franandaj said:


>



This looks so great! Maria is a big fan of the movies and would love to see this ride. 




franandaj said:


> By now it was 11:20, my eyelids were drooping and I had to admit that I was tired. We had agreed earlier in the day that we did not want to stay all the way until midnight



Well you made it pretty darn close!

What a fun night!


----------



## DnA2010

Wow I was so excited about the ribs, I showed them twice... whooops LOL


----------



## franandaj

Paulines said:


> We’re in SE MA, not too far from the cape.



I'm not familiar with that area.  In fact I looked at the map and I'm only familiar with the places my Grandma took me on the streetcar in Boston, and the beaches and pond we visited on the cape. I never drove since I was a kid when I visited so I really don't know much about the area.



Paulines said:


> I think the cartons were either 12 or 15 count? I don’t recall the size of the bars. Right now, we’re working our way through some Haagen Dazs bars in the freezer



That would be awesome! We would go through a box so quickly with only six. I would buy them two at a time when I found them.



Paulines said:


> Nice!!! Never been to DL! DD and I will hold out until more of Epcot’s eateries open up. A big part of our vacation is dining, so that’s that.



Growing up on the West Coast, obviously I've been many times.

I can understand waiting for more restaurants to open up. I was disappointed to read the Disney Food Blog where they listed what hotel restaurants would be open and most of my favorites were not on that list.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


>


Booo!



franandaj said:


>



That bacon samie on the right is looking pretty tasty right about now!



franandaj said:


>



Those guys are gorgeous!



franandaj said:


>



Are these folks on some sort of tour?



franandaj said:


>



We are family! I got all my....



franandaj said:


>



It's a tough life...



franandaj said:


>



Ride photos are always entertaining...the boys behind you are not quite feeling the excitement 



franandaj said:


>



Well hello there!



franandaj said:


>



Are you wearing a shirt of delicious beverages?...



franandaj said:


> RAWR!



You are!! Love that shirt!
Looks like Fran found a few things..you guys must have a lot of Disney bags...



franandaj said:


> There were extenuating circumstances related to the band which was causing her grief. Luckily, being away for so long gave her a chance to chill out and process the situation.



I hope there weren't 11 million calls and such on this trip?



franandaj said:


> And they were all HUGE! I just wanted a little something to go with what we already had. Maybe just a green salad for $3.99, oh wait we're at Disney, $5.99. So I gave up and decided who needs vegetables on vacation.



$5.99? why am I not surprised!



franandaj said:


> I don't know if it was the pan or the stove (the pans were pretty cheap), but the noodles just didn't want to cook.



I have actually had some success with this sort of thing in the ol' nuker!



franandaj said:


> Then the fireworks started at Epcot. Finally we got to see them from our room!





franandaj said:


>



Wowzas! Very nice!


Boo you are on the home stretch!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Don't know about down there, but up here you can chose between spicy or... not.
> And the "not" is definitely not spicy at all.



We have the choice of Mild or Spicy as well. Now I want to try Popeyes, but maybe once I can chew better.



pkondz said:


> Oh! Dang, that's a good point. I would definitely be worried if I didn't have it. Would also necessitate either a call or a visit to the front desk.



Actually its not the front desk, they will refer you to call DME directly.



pkondz said:


> And yet... bacon.



Well bacon is universal!



pkondz said:


> I _always_ see (and have posted) animal shots. That one is a rarity.



Huh. I always take one of the sign. We were waiting at the loading area until they could fill up the car. They don't always have enough people to fill the truck with people who need the HA loading area. While we were waiting for them to fill the truck with folks from the regular queue, I decided to snap one of the sign. I like to catch the ride vehicles in pictures in case I'm trying to show someone who's never been what its like.



pkondz said:


> Make sure you go next time! But be careful. 8 Spoons isn't open very long and they also run out. It's gotten _very_ popular.



I've got to try and remember. Right now we're looking at Sept 28 - Oct 8, 2021.



pkondz said:


> True, but every time I've seen her, she's been mobbed with people on all sides. No way to take them all out. At least not without a _lot_ of work.



I remembered you saying to try and get as many pictures as you could from the same angle. But Kevin kept moving so it was impossible. I just waited until I got a few without anyone too close.



pkondz said:


> I didn't notice! Blends in pretty good there.



I didn’t notice either, until I was showing you the original.   I was concentrating on the shadows from the kid and her mom and forgot the hand.



pkondz said:


> I miss Krispy Kreme. And Voodoo.



Never been to VooDoo. We have a place here called Knead. Their original location is near our old house, and they recently opened a location close to our current house. These don't look as good as they taste. But this place is dangerous. 





pkondz said:


> Yes they can. Daylight balanced lights.



How do they do that? And get the right shadows.


----------



## Paulines

Those cinnamon sticks look amazing  We have no delicious donut places near us.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We have the choice of Mild or Spicy as well. Now I want to try Popeyes, but maybe once I can chew better.


I saw something about that, but missed most of it. A dentist in the past did a number on a tooth/gum and you need to get that fixed?


franandaj said:


> Actually its not the front desk, they will refer you to call DME directly.


Ah.


franandaj said:


> Right now we're looking at Sept 28 - Oct 8, 2021.


That's not all that far away. Do you think you'll go? Florida isn't exactly a great place to be right now. Then again, neither is California, but I think Florida is worse?


franandaj said:


> I remembered you saying to try and get as many pictures as you could from the same angle. But Kevin kept moving so it was impossible. I just waited until I got a few without anyone too close.





franandaj said:


> Never been to VooDoo. We have a place here called Knead. Their original location is near our old house, and they recently opened a location close to our current house. These don't look as good as they taste. But this place is dangerous.


Whoa. I think I Knead to pay this place a visit.


franandaj said:


> How do they do that? And get the right shadows.


Daylight balanced bulbs (5000-6500K), reflectors. Actually can make it more daylight looking than daylight.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Sigh- Flame Tree- a little bit of deliciousness that I didn't know about on the day I went to AK...
> As you know, my WDW in person time is highly lacking,



Well next time you go I will be happy to help with planning!  I hope things will jot have changed that much that I don't know whats up!



DnA2010 said:


> and we were hoping for a big Florida trip either next year or the year after...wanted to do some sort of cruise/WDW combo, but who knows now..Flame tree would have def been a pic for AK days...we did a buffet the day we were there, I'm having a moment now which one it was without going and searching, but did have some African stuff



I'm guessing Tusker House. We did that a couple trips back to get seating for Rivers of Light. It was good. Lots of choices, both American and African, but i definitely like Flame Tree and it had been far too long since we'd eaten there.



DnA2010 said:


> Couldn't have been that fun given you're catching zz's!



 



DnA2010 said:


> hehe I know you love yourself some blue drinks



  I even bought me some Blue Curacao to make them at home. We just haven't had the time to do it.



DnA2010 said:


> I didn't know that the ran the Safari during the evening! Glad those animatronics were powered up! Sounds great!



Only during special events like this one did they have all these rides running. Usually AK closes at dusk.



DnA2010 said:


> Nom nom nom



 



DnA2010 said:


> I could probably do it- I love love ice cream!



While I love it, the dairy knocks me out, or maybe its the sugar, but something about ice cream does me in. Funny cause I made whipped cream with Splenda tonight and it didn't do me in like vanilla ice cream. We had pie and ran out of ice cream last night, but I had heavy cream so I whipped it to go with the pie and I'm not fading like I would with ice cream.... hmmmm  



DnA2010 said:


> This looks so great! Maria is a big fan of the movies and would love to see this ride.



This is such a great ride! I definitely understand the hype and the wait, although I would never wait 180 minutes for it!



DnA2010 said:


> Well you made it pretty darn close!
> 
> What a fun night!



Yes a little to late for our old selves, but it was fun!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Wow I was so excited about the ribs, I showed them twice... whooops LOL



   yeah I thought that was kind of funny!



DnA2010 said:


> Booo!



Its always bittersweet. I've usually had a lovely time, but by the end of the trip I'm missing my kitty companions. 

On our trip to New Zealand, at a bed and breakfast, we had a three paw'd cat that stayed with us in our guest house. In fact on our last day he brought us a gift mouse. I think that helped us through the two week trip, not missing our cats as much.



DnA2010 said:


> That bacon samie on the right is looking pretty tasty right about now!



She likes hers with bread, mayo and bacon. I prefer mine grilled with cheese!




DnA2010 said:


> Those guys are gorgeous!



I would imagine you'd like that species 



DnA2010 said:


> Are these folks on some sort of tour?



Yes, its the Wild Africa Trek. A special tour you can book, but have to be able bodied to do it.



DnA2010 said:


> We are family! I got all my....



 



DnA2010 said:


> It's a tough life...



I know.



DnA2010 said:


> Ride photos are always entertaining...the boys behind you are not quite feeling the excitement



I dont think anyone in the car is going with the flow!



DnA2010 said:


> Well hello there!







DnA2010 said:


> Are you wearing a shirt of delicious beverages?...
> 
> You are!! Love that shirt!



Yes it is a shirt of Trader Sam’s beverages. FL version.



DnA2010 said:


> Looks like Fran found a few things..you guys must have a lot of Disney bags...



I dont even know what she found. But as we sell off our Disney stuff, she has me put them in the Disney bags in case the packages get caught in the rain. 



DnA2010 said:


> I hope there weren't 11 million calls and such on this trip?



No not this trip. She just had some bad news the day before she left that had her down.



DnA2010 said:


> $5.99? why am I not surprised!



That was just my extrapolation if they had a garden salad. The cheapest one was $9.99.



DnA2010 said:


> I have actually had some success with this sort of thing in the ol' nuker!



Huh. I've only done them on the stove.



DnA2010 said:


> Wowzas! Very nice!
> 
> 
> Boo you are on the home stretch!



But closer to your cameo in the bonus features!


----------



## franandaj

Paulines said:


> Those cinnamon sticks look amazing  We have no delicious donut places near us.



The cinnamon sticks were actually not as good as the two at the top. The heart shaped one was filled with butterceam.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I saw something about that, but missed most of it. A dentist in the past did a number on a tooth/gum and you need to get that fixed?



I had gum surgery sometime way back, Fran was in the picture, but I still lived up in the SF valley. They just went in hacked out a bunch of my gums at the back of my mouth. Since then my hygenist has to be very delicate in that area.  Evidently it got bad enough that he (the Periodontist) had to go in, clean it all out and then do a bone graft to the part that was missing so my tooth had a "higher wall" to hold it in.  Otherwise it would eventually have needed to come out, still may.  This was the most invasive solution to the problem, but the most likely for me to keep that tooth.

It was a week ago, and the pain is just sort of starting to subside.  I think the stitches are starting to dissolve too.



pkondz said:


> That's not all that far away. Do you think you'll go? Florida isn't exactly a great place to be right now. Then again, neither is California, but I think Florida is worse?



Florida is far worse for reasons that can not be discussed on the DIS.  The P word.  However, I'm hoping by January of next year, the 21st to be exact, we should start turning this thing around.  If everyone isn't already dead yet.



pkondz said:


> Whoa. I think I Knead to pay this place a visit.



I'll put it on the list!  



pkondz said:


> Daylight balanced bulbs (5000-6500K), reflectors. Actually can make it more daylight looking than daylight.



Huh.  I have not experienced this on filming that I have witnessed.  Most of the time they just film in the daylight.  Probably costs less.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> I'm guessing Tusker House. We did that a couple trips back to get seating for Rivers of Light. It was good. Lots of choices, both American and African,



Yes, that was it- it was great!



franandaj said:


> While I love it, the dairy knocks me out, or maybe its the sugar, but something about ice cream does me in. Funny cause I made whipped cream with Splenda tonight and it didn't do me in like vanilla ice cream. We had pie and ran out of ice cream last night, but I had heavy cream so I whipped it to go with the pie and I'm not fading like I would with ice cream.... hmmmm



Sounds like it could be the sugar in the dairy indeed



franandaj said:


> She likes hers with bread, mayo and bacon. I prefer mine grilled with cheese!



either sounds good to me, mmmm bacon!



franandaj said:


> Yes it is a shirt of Trader Sam’s beverages. FL version.



Love it!



franandaj said:


> Huh. I've only done them on the stove.



Usually there are microwave instructions- I tried them once, and the noodles actually did come out decent



franandaj said:


> But closer to your cameo in the bonus features!


----------



## franandaj

Day 11

I woke up from a very strange nightmare where I was driving my scooter on the 405 North from West LA to the SF Valley through the Sepulveda Pass (which is impossible and illegal). This is a major highway, like five lanes on each side, and is normally bumper to bumper when the sun is up. But this was in the dark of night, with no moon, and no streetlights. On the southbound side there were terrible accidents happening. Someone had dumped several tons of this weird foam like substance and once the cars got inside of it there was no visibility and I could hear the vehicles crashing into each other. I could see the flames in the dark night. It was very scary.

No idea where that dream came from! I was glad to wake up from that!  I’m wondering what stories there were on the news that may have affected my dream.

So this update is very light on actual photos, so I’m going to insert some random cute cat photos or other funny ones to make it more amusing.

When I woke up the last day, it was 5:30AM and Fran had set an alarm, but I wasn't ready to get up. For the past couple days I had been powering up on the Vitamin C, cause I felt like something was coming on. So I took another one and laid back down for another 45 minutes, but at 6:15 I knew that I had to get up and get started. I had all the suitcases packed by 7:30, and we were pretty nearly ready to go. I weighed them and locked them and at 8AM Fran called the Bellman. It took half an hour for him to get to us, evidently he was the only one working. What's up Disney? This was the second time they only had one bellman for a large resort.

When we got to the resort airport check in, they were not able to check Fran in or her luggage. I think this had to do with the way the third ticket was booked. Usually they give it a separate confirmation number, this time all three seats were booked on one confirmation. So we had to take two bags with us on ME, and we had to go check the other two once we got to the airport.

I've got to remember that when booking these flights. What a PITA!

Luckily our DME was right on time, and we were the last stop. We got to the airport by 9:30, and we were through security and gate checking the scooters by 10:20. 

With plenty of time until boarding (one hour and ten minutes), we went to find some food. All the vitamin C that I was taking made my stomach a little wonky. What I really wanted was some soup, but no one was serving that at breakfast time. We settled on pretzels from Auntie Annie's. I got a salted pretzel with cheese sauce and planned to eat about half of it. Fran got a pretzel dog, and some cinnamon sugar covered pretzel bites. I ate a few of those too. Sorry no pictures. So here’s a cute cat and her baby kittens nursing.





Our flight was uneventful but full so no refunds on the third seat would be coming for us this time. I didn't eat a whole heck of a lot before the flight, I think the Vitamin C made me queasy. So I was starving by the time they brought around the Ritz bits. I would have even eaten the pretzels, if they gave them to me. 

Here’s two of those kittens all grown up.





When we landed in Dallas I was determined to find something to eat. It turned out that our gates were all in the same proximity and we didn't have to walk across the terminal like we did on the incoming flight. If you're not familiar with the Dallas Southwest terminal, there is a food court in the middle of the terminal. I'm not sure what is at the end of the terminal with the higher gate #'s. We were at the end of the terminal where gates 1-5 were located, and there was a Mexican restaurant with a QS option. I got an order of Fajita tacos. I'm not sure what made them Fajita since there wasn't any peppers. I let Fran have all the avocado and we each had 1½  tacos. The rice was meh, but the beans were pretty good.





I had a S'mores treat leftover from the day we went to the movies in my carry on so we had that for dessert. And then we waited patiently for the flight to board. Again, a full flight so at least we were comfortable. That third seat is a lifesaver, especially when you're the large economy size like us.  I watched our baggage being loaded on the plane.  Always a good sign.





There is goes!





And they’ve even got the scooters.





Anyways, everything went basically as planned for the rest of the trip home. And as could have been predicted, it was three hours from touch down on the ground to walking in the door of our house. 

Here’s another cute cat pretending to be a little mountain goat on her cat post.





Between getting the scooters up from the belly of the plane, picking up the car from the remote lot, LA rush hour traffic, and a stop for milk and bread, it's consistently three hours to get home.

Oh well the kitties were eventually happy to see us, some sooner than others, but by morning they had all forgiven us and were piled in bed with us sleeping away and making us overheated. This one likes the R2D2 clothes hamper.





Reflections: So everyone congratulated us on the "upgrade" after the first post, but I'm not so sure I'd call it that. While it is the new fancy hotel, it is seriously lacking in amenities. I heard people comparing it to the Grand Floridian and there is no comparison at all. The GF blows this place out of the water! 

Why is there no spa at such a fancy resort? I would have switched my spa reservation over in a heartbeat. As it was I agonized over canceling it until the last day possible. 

And dining options? Pathetic. They have an over the top fine dining place that gets mixed reviews where you can buy a $50 steak. And then they have the QS on the ground floor that was fairly mediocre. I realize now that the menu I posted was lunch because there are a few dinner options that are missing from the menu. The QS had a $17 steak. I don't remember if it was a flat iron or a hanger steak, but what frustrated me was that the QS didn't have just a plain old side salad or Caesar salad. Only the fancy Greek, Caprese or Nicoise.

What that place needs is a nice little French Bistro TS that serves Steak Frites, 





Quiche, Roasted Chicken, Coq au Vin, 





a decent Croque Monsieur or Madame, Escargot, Ratatouille, Haricot Verts, good French comfort food, at reasonable-for-Disney prices.  And maybe a place more like Les Halles instead of the current QS.

And transportation options? I did get over my fear of the Skyliner, but geez those cars come into the station fast. Just about every time coming into the station, I cringed hoping I wasn't going to be the next Skyliner mishap. Maybe it was because most of the time I was riding alone and didn't have people talking to me and distracting me, but really I would rather just take the bus. Except they only run once an hour to Epcot and DHS. This is what I found the most frustrating.

I certainly won't be buying points here. There are so many restrictions on the points if you buy them on the resale market they can only be used at the Riviera. Also something about resale points bought after a certain date can't be used there either. Then there are the actual point values. Our room at SSR cost us 32 points a night for weeknights whereas Riviera was 38 points. Over the course of 5-6 nights that's an extra day at SSR. On F&S the respective prices are 38 points and 48 points. That means that you could have 4 nights at the Riviera or 5 nights at SSR. For the exact same amount of points. Other than a little more marble, there is nothing that the Riviera room had over a room in the same category at SSR. If I had actually booked here in the first place it would have cost 68 more points for the entire stay. That's about 20% more, or nearly a midweek weekend at the Grand in low season!

Plus there were some transportation benefits we had hoped to take advantage of at SSR as well. Like on the nights that we were returning from dining/drinking at other resorts, we had just planned to take the bus to DS and then motor back to our room. Obviously the benefit of no bus rides after my spa treatment. I had also wanted to try out the Polite Pig at DS, and that would have been a simple one from SSR, but from RR it required a bus and we just never fit it in. 

And then there were the hallways. I may have addressed this earlier in replies, but there are some resorts with fun hallways. AKL has interesting halls if nothing besides the neat patterns on the door. I think the halls at BCV are cute and New Englandy, and even BLT. They both have halls that are kinda interesting. This place was just sterile and trying to exude elegance, unsuccessfully.

But here’s a laugh for you our quarantine eats with our first take out order from Acapulco Restaurant complete with take out Margarias and all.  You can see the kitties are just as interested in our dinner as we are!





Well that’s it for my Florida trips to Disney for who knows how long.  I’ve still got a few California Disney bonus features for you left, but not a lot. I wrote this a while ago, “Pretty soon, there won’t be any TRs left on the DIS.” But now we know that isn’t true and by the end of July we should have plenty to read about.

I’ll just leave you with this image of Fran cutting onions when we made Clam Chowder last December.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I had gum surgery sometime way back, Fran was in the picture, but I still lived up in the SF valley. They just went in hacked out a bunch of my gums at the back of my mouth. Since then my hygenist has to be very delicate in that area. Evidently it got bad enough that he (the Periodontist) had to go in, clean it all out and then do a bone graft to the part that was missing so my tooth had a "higher wall" to hold it in.


Whoa! That sounds... less than pleasant.



Hope you're feeling better soon, Alison.


franandaj said:


> It was a week ago, and the pain is just sort of starting to subside. I think the stitches are starting to dissolve too.


"Just starting"??? Yikes! A week is too long to go with dental pain.


franandaj said:


> Florida is far worse for reasons that can not be discussed on the DIS.


Oh?


franandaj said:


> The P word.


Totally lost now. P word that can't be written on the Dis... hmmm... can't be _that_. Public? No idea.  


franandaj said:


> However, I'm hoping by January of next year, the 21st to be exact, we should start turning this thing around. If everyone isn't already dead yet.


 


franandaj said:


> I'll put it on the list!


That must be some awfully long list you have by now! I'm going to have to make a trip down and stay a month just to get through it all!  


franandaj said:


> Huh. I have not experienced this on filming that I have witnessed. Most of the time they just film in the daylight. Probably costs less.


Probably because it costs less to pay everyone during the day, than at night or on weekends.


----------



## Dis_Yoda

Nice wrap up!  Liked seeing your review on Riveria.  We debated on staying there in August but decided BLT was more our speed.  Points per night seem excessive for what you get.  

Hopefully we can all travel soon.  We're sticking with WDW for our trips for the next year as we live in Florida and already subjected to it all anyway and can drive.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I woke up from a very strange nightmare where I was driving my scooter on the 405 North from West LA to the SF Valley through the Sepulveda Pass (which is impossible and illegal). This is a major highway, like five lanes on each side, and is normally bumper to bumper when the sun is up. But this was in the dark of night, with no moon, and no streetlights. On the southbound side there were terrible accidents happening. Someone had dumped several tons of this weird foam like substance and once the cars got inside of it there was no visibility and I could hear the vehicles crashing into each other. I could see the flames in the dark night. It was very scary.


Yikes! That's not pleasant at all.
Why is it impossible and illegal? Did you mean the scooter? Or you can't go north on 405 from West La?


franandaj said:


> So this update is very light on actual photos, so I’m going to insert some random cute cat photos or other funny ones to make it more amusing.


I'm okay with that. 


franandaj said:


> For the past couple days I had been powering up on the Vitamin C, cause I felt like something was coming on.


Uh, oh. Did you come down with something? I think you did?


franandaj said:


> What's up Disney? This was the second time they only had one bellman for a large resort.


That's... a bit light in that department, for sure.


franandaj said:


> So we had to take two bags with us on ME, and we had to go check the other two once we got to the airport.


Annoying. 


franandaj said:


> Luckily our DME was right on time,


I always wish it'd be just a _little_ late. Not so late I miss my flight, but late enough that I can squeeze a few last moments out of the Disney time.


franandaj said:


> and we were the last stop


That part I like.
When I get picked up, I don't want to be reminded that there's more Disney.


franandaj said:


> So here’s a cute cat and her baby kittens nursing.


Awww...


franandaj said:


> Our flight was uneventful but full so no refunds on the third seat would be coming for us this time.


Poop. Still... good thing you booked it.


franandaj said:


> If you're not familiar with the Dallas Southwest terminal,


Nope! Never been in that neck of the US. Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico... to name a few.


franandaj said:


> I'm not sure what is at the end of the terminal with the higher gate #'s


Gates.


There are gates.



Okay, now that I gave you the wise guy answer, I felt guilty so looked it up.
At the other end there's the ubiquitous Hudson News, as well as a Jason's Deli, Hops & Grapes, the also ubiquitous Chili's, and the even more ubiquitous Starbucks.


franandaj said:


> there was a Mexican restaurant with a QS option.


Cantina Laredo.


franandaj said:


> I'm not sure what made them Fajita since there wasn't any peppers.


I Googled. Apparently, according to the one and only definition of fajita that I looked at, it just says "vegetables", not specifically peppers.
"_a dish of Mexican origin consisting of strips of spiced beef or chicken, chopped vegetables, and grated cheese, wrapped in a soft tortilla and often served with sour cream._"

I checked one more spot:
_"The word 'fajita' is actually a reference to the type of meat traditionally used in the assembly of the dish—carne asada, or skirt steak. This tough cut of meat is sliced against the grain, grilled, and accompanied by grilled vegetables with flour or corn tortillas on the side._"


franandaj said:


> That third seat is a lifesaver, especially when you're the large economy size like us.


You're not economy. You guys are priceless.


franandaj said:


> I watched our baggage being loaded on the plane. Always a good sign.



I've _yet_ to spot my bag being loaded. And I have watched. (But not obsessively, which probably explains why I've never seen it.)


franandaj said:


> Here’s another cute cat pretending to be a little mountain goat on her cat post.


"Baa!"
(Or whatever sound a goat makes.)


franandaj said:


> Between getting the scooters up from the belly of the plane, picking up the car from the remote lot, LA rush hour traffic, and a stop for milk and bread, it's consistently three hours to get home.


Long. If you got back at 2am, how long would it take?
If I get home at 2am it takes about 30 minutes. During rush hour, 45.


franandaj said:


> Reflections: So everyone congratulated us on the "upgrade" after the first post, but I'm not so sure I'd call it that. While it is the new fancy hotel, it is seriously lacking in amenities. I heard people comparing it to the Grand Floridian and there is no comparison at all. The GF blows this place out of the water!


Ah! Interesting observation.


franandaj said:


> What that place needs is a nice little French Bistro TS that serves Steak Frites,
> 
> Quiche, Roasted Chicken, Coq au Vin,
> 
> a decent Croque Monsieur or Madame, Escargot, Ratatouille, Haricot Verts, good French comfort food, at reasonable-for-Disney prices. And maybe a place more like Les Halles instead of the current QS.


That all sounds really good! Send Disney this idea! (Not that they'd listen... but they should.)


franandaj said:


> And transportation options? I did get over my fear of the Skyliner, but geez those cars come into the station fast. Just about every time coming into the station, I cringed hoping I wasn't going to be the next Skyliner mishap. Maybe it was because most of the time I was riding alone and didn't have people talking to me and distracting me, but really I would rather just take the bus. Except they only run once an hour to Epcot and DHS. This is what I found the most frustrating.


Don't they slow down enough for scooters and wheelchairs??? Poor planning, Disney.


franandaj said:


> There are so many restrictions on the points if you buy them on the resale market they can only be used at the Riviera.


I'd heard something like that. Actually, the reverse, I think. That your old resale market points couldn't be used there.


franandaj said:


> Over the course of 5-6 nights that's an extra day at SSR. On F&S the respective prices are 38 points and 48 points. That means that you could have 4 nights at the Riviera or 5 nights at SSR. For the exact same amount of points. Other than a little more marble, there is nothing that the Riviera room had over a room in the same category at SSR. If I had actually booked here in the first place it would have cost 68 more points for the entire stay. That's about 20% more, or nearly a midweek weekend at the Grand in low season!


Disney must really be counting on enough people wanting in so much they don't care about what they (the buyers) lose.


franandaj said:


> This place was just sterile and trying to exude elegance, unsuccessfully.


Doesn't sound great.


franandaj said:


> But here’s a laugh for you our quarantine eats with our first take out order from Acapulco Restaurant complete with take out Margarias and all. You can see the kitties are just as interested in our dinner as we are!


 Did the kitties swipe some?


franandaj said:


> I’ll just leave you with this image of Fran cutting onions when we made Clam Chowder last December.




And I'll leave you with this image I saw yesterday (on the internet, not my photo).


----------



## tiggrbaby

Ooh, hope your mouth heals soon!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the kitty pics!

Thanks again for sharing with us!


----------



## cruisehopeful

Thanks for adding in the kitty pictures and the hilarious one of Fran cutting up onion.   

It's crazy to think that I won't be having your trip reports to read for a while. I don't know what the future holds for any of us when it comes to Disneyland, but I'd love to meet up with you ladies for a drink or something at Trader Sam's or anywhere around the property. Again, I'm not holding my breath as who knows what will happen with any of us between now and then. My Long Beach daughter and I do have a night booked at the Grand in August. We aren't really planning on going to the parks if they are open. We were thinking more about getting a cabana and enjoying the food and drinks at the hotel. I'm not even sure (if it does open by then) that they will have a full menu. I think if most of what we were planning doesn't look like it will be open, we'll probably cancel. 

My next big plan is Gay Days weekend, but you know how massively crowded that is. I'm also caring for a hospice dog right now and not sure I'll want to spend a whole weekend away at that time if she's still around. 

Meanwhile, you still have an Acapulco? I'm pretty sure all the ones in San Diego have closed as well as their sister El Torito. Dang - I used to love going to those places. How did they sell to go margaritas? Where they just in a normal to go soda type cup?


----------



## cajunfan

Wow. How have I messed your reports! I have read through this one and will go back and read your others as I have time. 

First, I only read your report and not any of the comments between updates. But in case no one has told you, when you get the extra seat for COS on SWA, the flight no longer has to not be full to get the refund. All you have to do is ask for it. My son pointed this out to me. So even on a full flight, you can get a refund on the extra seat. 

I LOVED your TSA notes!! 

I was surprised to see no walk in shower, but I have learned that with HA rooms you have to specifically ask for roll in/walk in showers. After a long day in the parks, I'm not sure my knees would let me get in that tub anymore. 

So glad to read about the scooters and the Skyliner. I usually travel using a scooter and so does a friend of mine. So if we were together, it is good to know the one per car and the spacing.

I also love your spice kit. I unfortunately have something similar, only it is a medical kit, lol. A plastic container with anything you could need for non-emergency room requiring things. We learned after our first trip to carry it because trying to locate a medicine on Disney property can be challenging and expensive!

Can't wait to read your other reports. And I will be checking out your cookbook!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> a very strange nightmare





franandaj said:


> No idea where that dream came from! I was glad to wake up from that!



Yikes! I have very vivid dreams, I've even had some nightmares where I realize I'm in a nightmare and manage to wake myself up out of it..then I don''t want to fall back asleep toooo quickly as I don't want to go back into the crazy dream!



franandaj said:


> they were not able to check Fran in or her luggage.



A bit annoying for sure, now you know I guess?



franandaj said:


>



Hello there you little cuties!




franandaj said:


>



I'm always a bit weary of ordering steak fajitas/tacos as it can be soo tough..


franandaj said:


> I watched our baggage being loaded on the plane. Always a good sign.



Love it when I see a bag!



franandaj said:


> And they’ve even got the scooters.



They look like they were handled nicely too!



franandaj said:


>



I like the picture behind this balancing act too!




franandaj said:


> r traffic, and a stop for milk and bread, it's consistently three hours to get home.



When you are doing Orlando, it's pretty much always LAX hey?



franandaj said:


>



Mmm that looks good! Doesn't help I'm almost done work and hungry!



franandaj said:


> most of the time I was riding alone



Oh they put you in with a scooter mostly solo hey?



franandaj said:


>



I got distracted in this picture..so much that it distracted me from margs and Mexican food!


franandaj said:


> I wrote this a while ago, “Pretty soon, there won’t be any TRs left on the DIS.” But now we know that isn’t true and by the end of July we should have plenty to read about.



I will have to find some more to read I think



franandaj said:


> I’ll just leave you with this image of Fran cutting onions when we made Clam Chowder last December.




I actually laughed outloud here! Good thing I'm still working from home!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Whoa! That sounds... less than pleasant.
> 
> 
> 
> Hope you're feeling better soon, Alison.



Well Wednesday was the first day that I didn’t wake up at 5:30AM due to excruciating pain (the pills from the night before had worn off). I stopped taking the narcotics the day after the surgery because I couldn't stand feeling funny.  I went back to taking ibuprofen, but was taking it too often because Monday I felt icky and didn't realize what was causing it until I googled "ibuprofen symptoms". 

Now I'm doing a mix of the ibuprofen and the turmeric based pain meds. I still wake up sore with the pain pills of the night before having worn off, but at least the pain is not the reason I'm waking up anymore. Thats a difference.



pkondz said:


> "Just starting"??? Yikes! A week is too long to go with dental pain.



Now we're on Day 10. While its not as bad as last week. It still hurts. 

Did you ever get your dental problem fixed?



pkondz said:


> Oh?
> Totally lost now. P word that can't be written on the Dis... hmmm... can't be _that_. Public? No idea.



Politics. Verboten an das DIS.



pkondz said:


> That must be some awfully long list you have by now! I'm going to have to make a trip down and stay a month just to get through it all!



Actually there's only 8 items on it. But a lot is eating, so that may take a while. One can only eat so many meals in one day.



pkondz said:


> Probably because it costs less to pay everyone during the day, than at night or on weekends.



Not to mention the hardware you mentioned.


----------



## Paulines

Alison, you’re a hot ticket, love the picture of Fran cutting onions for your chowda!

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your travels, I’m going to miss reading of your adventures....until the next time!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Yikes! That's not pleasant at all.
> Why is it impossible and illegal? Did you mean the scooter? Or you can't go north on 405 from West La?



OK, first off the illegal. California Freeways say that, I'm not sure how its worded, but essentially only cars, trucks, and motorcycles are allowed to travel on them. No bicycles,  pedestrians, and I assume scooters would be included in that group.

Impossible because getting there would be a huge PITA.  The pass itself has limited off/on ramps. The farthest north on ramp before "the pass" would be Sunset Blvd. There's no parking on Sunset, its a very busy street. Two lanes in each direction. And looking at the satellite map I don’t see any sidewalks. It's been a while since I've driven there, but I don't recall any either.

Since we can't just apperate onto the freeway, I'm not sure exactly how you could. That part of town is very traffic heavy, many roads are multiple lanes and such. If you got on the freeway before Sunset, more than likely you would be picked up before getting to Sunset.

Also in my dream/nightmare I was on the portion between Sunset and Mulholland. The road was going upward on my side and the cars crashing were on the downhill side.

If you're in a car, the 405 is one of three routes from West LA to the valley. You can also take Sepulveda Blvd which parallels the freeway, but its only a couple lanes in each direction and there are stoplights. The other one is very roundabout, you can go up the coast on PCH to Malibu and cut across the mountains on Las Virgenes Canyon Road, but that would only be in a extreme case, where you want to take the scenic route or the pass was closed due to wildfires or a major accident which closed down all the northbound lanes.



pkondz said:


> I'm okay with that.



Good cause that was the easiest genre to choose from for filler!



pkondz said:


> Uh, oh. Did you come down with something? I think you did?



Actually I didn't, the vitamin C worked.



pkondz said:


> That's... a bit light in that department, for sure.



Yeah, at least have an extra person between 7AM until noon. People are bound to be checking out.



pkondz said:


> I always wish it'd be just a _little_ late. Not so late I miss my flight, but late enough that I can squeeze a few last moments out of the Disney time.



I start freaking out when they're late.



pkondz said:


> That part I like.
> When I get picked up, I don't want to be reminded that there's more Disney



I just don't like more people getting on the bus!  



pkondz said:


> Poop. Still... good thing you booked it.



Yes. Nice not to be squished in.



pkondz said:


> Nope! Never been in that neck of the US. Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico... to name a few.



Never been to New Mexico, Louisiana needs a do over, but I've had fun in Texas. Some good Chicken Fried Steak to be had there. And ive had margaritas the size of my head!



pkondz said:


> Gates.
> 
> 
> There are gates.
> 
> 
> 
> Okay, now that I gave you the wise guy answer, I felt guilty so looked it up.
> At the other end there's the ubiquitous Hudson News, as well as a Jason's Deli, Hops & Grapes, the also ubiquitous Chili's, and the even more ubiquitous Starbucks.



OK. I'll believe you.



pkondz said:


> Cantina Laredo.



Sounds about right.



pkondz said:


> I Googled. Apparently, according to the one and only definition of fajita that I looked at, it just says "vegetables", not specifically peppers.
> "_a dish of Mexican origin consisting of strips of spiced beef or chicken, chopped vegetables, and grated cheese, wrapped in a soft tortilla and often served with sour cream._"



OK. That makes sense, but peppers seem logical as they are popular in the Southwest. 



pkondz said:


> I checked one more spot:
> _"The word 'fajita' is actually a reference to the type of meat traditionally used in the assembly of the dish—carne asada, or skirt steak. This tough cut of meat is sliced against the grain, grilled, and accompanied by grilled vegetables with flour or corn tortillas on the side._"



Interesting that they base it around steak, cause you can find chicken and shrimp fajitas at many places. When I plan fajitas in the menu, it usually in conjunction with either sausage and peppers or chicken a la king days earlier/later. That way I use up the peppers between the two meals. However two weeks ago. I ended up bailing on the fajita concept and just made the skirt steak (on the grill) with fries in the airfryer. I ended up tossing the leftover peppers.



pkondz said:


> You're not economy. You guys are priceless.



I'm not sure how to respond to that!  



pkondz said:


> I've _yet_ to spot my bag being loaded. And I have watched. (But not obsessively, which probably explains why I've never seen it.)



I just happened to see that. I was playing a game on my phone waiting to push back so I happened to see them, and the phone camera was handy.



pkondz said:


> "Baa!"
> (Or whatever sound a goat makes.)



This time I Googled and you are correct sir!



pkondz said:


> Long. If you got back at 2am, how long would it take?
> If I get home at 2am it takes about 30 minutes. During rush hour, 45.



Well the three hours is the process.

15 to 20 minutes to taxi to the gate and exit the plane. We wait until most people have exited the plane since we have to wait for the scooters anyways.
15 to 20 minutes to wait for the scooters to come up at the gate.
10 minutes to -ahem- use the facilities
10 to 15 minutes to get luggage. On American our bags used to be waiting for us, but Southwest seems to be a little slower about getting them off the plane.
40 minutes to take the shuttle to the remote lot, get the car and drive back
10 minutes more to load the car.
30 to 45 minutes to drive back to Long Beach
15 to 20 minutes to stop for milk and bread

If you add up the worst case timings above you get exactly 3 hours.

I dont think 2AM would affect that timing more than 15 minutes cause it would still be half an hour from LAX to our house. It seems the extra time is in all the other steps.



pkondz said:


> Ah! Interesting observation.



What about it is interesting. 



pkondz said:


> That all sounds really good! Send Disney this idea! (Not that they'd listen... but they should.)



That's OK. Not being listened to has been the story of my life.



pkondz said:


> Don't they slow down enough for scooters and wheelchairs??? Poor planning, Disney.



Well at most of the stations they have a separate loading area for scooters and wheelchairs. However what I'm talking about is when you approach the station. The cars in front of you are stopped and you rapidly approach the stopped cars and then your car abruptly breaks. I seem to be the only who finds this disconcerting. 



pkondz said:


> I'd heard something like that. Actually, the reverse, I think. That your old resale market points couldn't be used there.



Actually "old" resale points can be used there, but there is a cut off date where your points purchased after said date cant be used there. My original BRV and BCV contracts were purchased less than a month before the first incarnation of this policy was put in place (no using resale points for cruises, non DVC hotels, ABD, etc.). Our BLT contract and second BRV are subject to all the restrictions. But that's only 130 of 1018 points. 



pkondz said:


> Disney must really be counting on enough people wanting in so much they don't care about what they (the buyers) lose.



Or new buyers are not savvy enough to understand the nuances.



pkondz said:


> Did the kitties swipe some?



No they patiently waited for us to give then bits of our taco meat.



pkondz said:


> And I'll leave you with this image I saw yesterday (on the internet, not my photo).



Is that a real cat or a stuffed toy?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well Wednesday was the first day that I didn’t wake up at 5:30AM due to excruciating pain (the pills from the night before had worn off).


Well... progress?


franandaj said:


> I went back to taking ibuprofen, but was taking it too often because Monday I felt icky and didn't realize what was causing it until I googled "ibuprofen symptoms".


Oh! I hadn't heard of that. I seldom take pills of that kind. I have to be feeling pretty bad to do so. (Obviously you were, so makes sense.)


franandaj said:


> I still wake up sore with the pain pills of the night before having worn off, but at least the pain is not the reason I'm waking up anymore. Thats a difference.





franandaj said:


> Now we're on Day 10. While its not as bad as last week. It still hurts.



Hope it heals _completely, quickly._


franandaj said:


> Did you ever get your dental problem fixed?


I did!
Um... well... I had the _opposite _experience you had.
I figured out that it probably wasn't a broken molar so much as a filling broke, and it turns out that was the case. I went in and he poked at it a bit and said "Does that hurt?" I hadn't felt a thing. So he went and gave me another filling without having to freeze it. It was a breeze and felt great immediately. He even said "That must've been the easiest filling you've ever gotten."
And he was right!


franandaj said:


> Politics. Verboten an das DIS.


Ohhhh...


franandaj said:


> Actually there's only 8 items on it. But a lot is eating, so that may take a while. One can only eat so many meals in one day.


I'm not an "eat and purge" kinda guy. 


franandaj said:


> Not to mention the hardware you mentioned.


Nope. They'd already own that, so no extra cost there.
Unless it's a small company that rents them.


franandaj said:


> OK, first off the illegal. California Freeways say that, I'm not sure how its worded, but essentially only cars, trucks, and motorcycles are allowed to travel on them. No bicycles, pedestrians, and I assume scooters would be included in that group.


Okay, that part I figured. 
I just wanted to know what you meant by saying you couldn't do it. Because it was physically impossible or legally impossible.


franandaj said:


> Impossible because getting there would be a huge PITA. The pass itself has limited off/on ramps. The farthest north on ramp before "the pass" would be Sunset Blvd. There's no parking on Sunset, its a very busy street. Two lanes in each direction. And looking at the satellite map I don’t see any sidewalks. It's been a while since I've driven there, but I don't recall any either.


Okay, think I got it.


franandaj said:


> If you're in a car, the 405 is one of three routes from West LA to the valley. You can also take Sepulveda Blvd which parallels the freeway, but its only a couple lanes in each direction and there are stoplights. The other one is very roundabout, you can go up the coast on PCH to Malibu and cut across the mountains on Las Virgenes Canyon Road, but that would only be in a extreme case, where you want to take the scenic route or the pass was closed due to wildfires or a major accident which closed down all the northbound lanes.


I'm gonna need a map for this. 


franandaj said:


> Actually I didn't, the vitamin C worked.


Good. 


franandaj said:


> I start freaking out when they're late.


Yeah... there's that, too.


franandaj said:


> I just don't like more people getting on the bus!


 Okay, That too.


franandaj said:


> Never been to New Mexico, Louisiana needs a do over, but I've had fun in Texas. Some good Chicken Fried Steak to be had there. And ive had margaritas the size of my head!


Reason to go!


franandaj said:


> OK. That makes sense, but peppers seem logical as they are popular in the Southwest.


That does seem logical. Unfortunately, peppers don't agree with me, so while I like the taste, I avoid them.


franandaj said:


> Interesting that they base it around steak, cause you can find chicken and shrimp fajitas at many places. When I plan fajitas in the menu, it usually in conjunction with either sausage and peppers or chicken a la king days earlier/later. That way I use up the peppers between the two meals. However two weeks ago. I ended up bailing on the fajita concept and just made the skirt steak (on the grill) with fries in the airfryer. I ended up tossing the leftover peppers.


You're right. I usually do chicken fajitas myself. Never done sausage though. Do you skin and break them up or slice them?


franandaj said:


> I'm not sure how to respond to that!





franandaj said:


> This time I Googled and you are correct sir!


A first!!


franandaj said:


> 15 to 20 minutes to taxi to the gate and exit the plane.


I don't count that part. I consider it as part of the flight. Plane's moving, plainly.
I start my countdown when I walk out the door. So not even after we've parked and the door's open.


franandaj said:


> We wait until most people have exited the plane since we have to wait for the scooters anyways.


 Had to do that when I was in the wheelchair.


franandaj said:


> 40 minutes to take the shuttle to the remote lot, get the car and drive back


 That's long!!!


franandaj said:


> I dont think 2AM would affect that timing more than 15 minutes cause it would still be half an hour from LAX to our house. It seems the extra time is in all the other steps.


Okay, got it.


franandaj said:


> What about it is interesting.


That it wasn't an upgrade, really and the comparison to the GF.


franandaj said:


> That's OK. Not being listened to has been the story of my life.


 


franandaj said:


> Well at most of the stations they have a separate loading area for scooters and wheelchairs. However what I'm talking about is when you approach the station. The cars in front of you are stopped and you rapidly approach the stopped cars and then your car abruptly breaks. I seem to be the only who finds this disconcerting.


Ah okay. Someday I'll see what it's all about.


Someday.


franandaj said:


> Or new buyers are not savvy enough to understand the nuances.


That's me!
(the not savvy part. Not planning on buying.)


franandaj said:


> Is that a real cat or a stuffed toy?


That's one real tired kitten.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Ooh, hope your mouth heals soon!



Thanks, it is slowly getting better.



tiggrbaby said:


> LOVE LOVE LOVE the kitty pics!



Thank you!  That seems to be most of my pictures now.  That and food.



tiggrbaby said:


> Thanks again for sharing with us!



I've got several months of bonus features from Disneyland so the fun can keep going, at least for a little while....


----------



## franandaj

cruisehopeful said:


> Thanks for adding in the kitty pictures and the hilarious one of Fran cutting up onion.



I'm glad you enjoyed them!



cruisehopeful said:


> It's crazy to think that I won't be having your trip reports to read for a while.



Well, I've still got a few more bonus updates from times at Disneyland, so there will be more to read for a little bit.



cruisehopeful said:


> I don't know what the future holds for any of us when it comes to Disneyland, but I'd love to meet up with you ladies for a drink or something at Trader Sam's or anywhere around the property.



That would be great fun!  We'll have to see how things turn out!



cruisehopeful said:


> Again, I'm not holding my breath as who knows what will happen with any of us between now and then. My Long Beach daughter and I do have a night booked at the Grand in August. We aren't really planning on going to the parks if they are open. We were thinking more about getting a cabana and enjoying the food and drinks at the hotel. I'm not even sure (if it does open by then) that they will have a full menu. I think if most of what we were planning doesn't look like it will be open, we'll probably cancel.



Yeah, we will have to see where we're at. Here we thought things were reopening and now we are going back to closing down. So who knows?



cruisehopeful said:


> My next big plan is Gay Days weekend, but you know how massively crowded that is. I'm also caring for a hospice dog right now and not sure I'll want to spend a whole weekend away at that time if she's still around.



I'm sorry about the dog you're tending.  



cruisehopeful said:


> Meanwhile, you still have an Acapulco? I'm pretty sure all the ones in San Diego have closed as well as their sister El Torito. Dang - I used to love going to those places.



We had an El Torito and an Acapulco on the same street within half a mile of each other.  The El Torito closed but the Acapulco is still open.  It's at the Marina Pacifica shopping center on PCH, if your daughter knows where that is.



cruisehopeful said:


> How did they sell to go margaritas? Where they just in a normal to go soda type cup?



This isn't from Acapulco, but it's the same concept.  It was about 2 weeks into the shut down that LA county legalized "Take Out Liquor".  This is an example from our favorite local Tiki Bar called the Bamboo Club.  There are two different drinks here along with their "chicken plate".  The drinks sell for $24 each and are supposed to have four servings, although we seemed to only get two servings from each one.  Acapulco was the same, but I think we opted for their Cadillac Margarita for $27 instead of the standard for $24.  Places can deliver Beer, Wine, and Mixed drinks, just not bottles of liquor.


----------



## franandaj

cajunfan said:


> Wow. How have I messed your reports! I have read through this one and will go back and read your others as I have time.



    Wow!  That's a lot of dedication!



cajunfan said:


> First, I only read your report and not any of the comments between updates. But in case no one has told you, when you get the extra seat for COS on SWA, the flight no longer has to not be full to get the refund. All you have to do is ask for it. My son pointed this out to me. So even on a full flight, you can get a refund on the extra seat.



That's good to know. I will call and ask in the future, if we ever end up flying again.



cajunfan said:


> I LOVED your TSA notes!!



Thanks!  I was surprised that it worked.



cajunfan said:


> I was surprised to see no walk in shower, but I have learned that with HA rooms you have to specifically ask for roll in/walk in showers. After a long day in the parks, I'm not sure my knees would let me get in that tub anymore.



I would have called and asked for one because that's what we had reserved at SSR, but Fran said she could work with it, so we stayed put.



cajunfan said:


> So glad to read about the scooters and the Skyliner. I usually travel using a scooter and so does a friend of mine. So if we were together, it is good to know the one per car and the spacing.



Yeah, it was kind of disconcerting.  It worked out better for me if she went first, then I wasn't sitting at the end station fretting about whether it would break down with her on it.



cajunfan said:


> I also love your spice kit. I unfortunately have something similar, only it is a medical kit, lol. A plastic container with anything you could need for non-emergency room requiring things. We learned after our first trip to carry it because trying to locate a medicine on Disney property can be challenging and expensive!



I hear you!  We learned that on our Alaskan cruise.  I have a similar thing that I pack now, but I just throw it in a baggie.  Mucinex, a Z-pack, Cepacol tablets, and a couple other prescription meds that we have in case of emergencyish situations.



cajunfan said:


> Can't wait to read your other reports. And I will be checking out your cookbook!



Well, thanks!


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


>


What a way to go!!!   LOL  this is a great picture!

I appreciate your honest reflections on the upgrade you received.  Definitely interesting to get a different resort than you booked, but it can come at a cost for sure!

I'm interested to hear the Disneyland bonus features!!!  Disneyland is still on my "someday" list for now, but is definitely a place I am drawn to visit, even more than other Disney parks internationally.  I feel the need to walk where Walt walked and see where the vision began!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> We had tickets to Moonlight Magic



I've not heard of this! 


franandaj said:


> since this was the first year in decades that Michael hasn’t had a Disney pass.



I wonder if he'll get one moving forward...?


franandaj said:


>



Pretty!



franandaj said:


> We had a choice of Flame Tree, Pizzasafari, Satuli Canteen, or Restaurantosaurus for our complimentary dinner. T



I'm in the Satuli camp, but depending on my mood, I could easily see picking Flame Tree too. 



franandaj said:


> Boy is Everest a trip in the dark! So much fun!



I'm not sure I've ever done that!!! Need to fix that! I guess cuz the park always closes so early.




franandaj said:


> So I gave Fran my other bar and while I went on the ride, she ended up eating three Mickey Bars!



Did that come with a side of insulin?!  


franandaj said:


> The wait was 20 minutes, and they sent us through the regular queue. I'd never been through there before and it was pretty neat. But not 180 minutes wait neat.


I've never once been through that queue.  would love to someday!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> We probably even went right past Eight Spoons, I could have tried their Mac and Cheese! But I totally forgot about it. Instead we headed over to Yak and Yeti QS.



D'oh!!! :


franandaj said:


>



Great photo of her!



franandaj said:


> There were extenuating circumstances related to the band which was causing her grief. Luckily, being away for so long gave her a chance to chill out and process the situation. She still wasn't happy, but she was no longer at the proverbial edge, like she was when we left.



UGH! Not again! 



franandaj said:


> OMG! I just noticed that I neglected to remove the kid's finger from the edited shot!


  I didn't even see it!



franandaj said:


> I woke up from a very strange nightmare where I was driving my scooter on the 405 North from West LA to the SF Valley through the Sepulveda Pass (which is impossible and illegal).



 That is CRAZY!!! Holy cow!



franandaj said:


> Why is there no spa at such a fancy resort? I would have switched my spa reservation over in a heartbeat. As it was I agonized over canceling it until the last day possible.



Fair  assessment. And excellent question!



franandaj said:


> This place was just sterile and trying to exude elegance, unsuccessfully.



Yeah, I just had this rant on my TR a while back. Disney's new "dumb down the resorts" campaign. 



franandaj said:


> I wrote this a while ago, “Pretty soon, there won’t be any TRs left on the DIS.” But now we know that isn’t true and by the end of July we should have plenty to read about.



I think we'll be starting to see some trickle back to life, but.... could take a bit.


----------



## ajf1007

It was a great TR, thanks for taking us with you!  Hopefully it's only upwards from here and we're back making Disney memories again!!  I hope you both keep well and I look forward to seeing your next adventures!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> No idea where that dream came from! I was glad to wake up from that! I’m wondering what stories there were on the news that may have affected my dream.



Wow.  That sounds pretty disturbing.  



franandaj said:


> I weighed them and locked them and at 8AM Fran called the Bellman. It took half an hour for him to get to us, evidently he was the only one working. What's up Disney? This was the second time they only had one bellman for a large resort.



That poor guy!  What did he do to tick them off?



franandaj said:


> When we got to the resort airport check in, they were not able to check Fran in or her luggage. I think this had to do with the way the third ticket was booked. Usually they give it a separate confirmation number, this time all three seats were booked on one confirmation. So we had to take two bags with us on ME, and we had to go check the other two once we got to the airport.



That sounds like a real pain!



franandaj said:


> So here’s a cute cat and her baby kittens nursing.



Aww....



franandaj said:


> If you're not familiar with the Dallas Southwest terminal, there is a food court in the middle of the terminal.



Hey, I was there once!  I remember that.



franandaj said:


> Between getting the scooters up from the belly of the plane, picking up the car from the remote lot, LA rush hour traffic, and a stop for milk and bread, it's consistently three hours to get home.



That sounds like an ordeal, too.



franandaj said:


> Reflections: So everyone congratulated us on the "upgrade" after the first post, but I'm not so sure I'd call it that. While it is the new fancy hotel, it is seriously lacking in amenities. I heard people comparing it to the Grand Floridian and there is no comparison at all. The GF blows this place out of the water!



The overall impression I get from your comments is that they were trying to make it seem like a true deluxe hotel but do it on the cheap.



franandaj said:


> And transportation options? I did get over my fear of the Skyliner, but geez those cars come into the station fast. Just about every time coming into the station, I cringed hoping I wasn't going to be the next Skyliner mishap. Maybe it was because most of the time I was riding alone and didn't have people talking to me and distracting me, but really I would rather just take the bus. Except they only run once an hour to Epcot and DHS. This is what I found the most frustrating.



I have a feeling I'd enjoy the skyliner, but you would think a deluxe resort would have more options.



franandaj said:


> I certainly won't be buying points here. There are so many restrictions on the points if you buy them on the resale market they can only be used at the Riviera. Also something about resale points bought after a certain date can't be used there either.



It's almost like they're trying to make it as miserable as possible.



franandaj said:


> This place was just sterile and trying to exude elegance, unsuccessfully.



I got that sense, too.  The theming looks bland to me.  I don't see anything that pops as special or different than "nice hotel".



franandaj said:


> But here’s a laugh for you our quarantine eats with our first take out order from Acapulco Restaurant complete with take out Margarias and all. You can see the kitties are just as interested in our dinner as we are!



The art on the walls looks cool!



franandaj said:


>


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Yikes! I have very vivid dreams, I've even had some nightmares where I realize I'm in a nightmare and manage to wake myself up out of it..then I don''t want to fall back asleep toooo quickly as I don't want to go back into the crazy dream!



I had another weird one last night, and I didn't want to go back to it AT ALL.



DnA2010 said:


> A bit annoying for sure, now you know I guess?



Whenever it is that we get back to flying, I'll make sure that they book the third seat on a separate reservation.



DnA2010 said:


> Hello there you little cuties!



They're so tiny!  Now they're so big!



DnA2010 said:


> I'm always a bit weary of ordering steak fajitas/tacos as it can be soo tough..



Perhaps that's the case up north. I've found them to be pretty good in the border states.



DnA2010 said:


> Love it when I see a bag!



It does make my blood pressure go down when I know our bags have made it.



DnA2010 said:


> They look like they were handled nicely too!



Not sure if I can tell that, but it could be.



DnA2010 said:


> I like the picture behind this balancing act too!



I know! Cute that she posed in front of that one.



DnA2010 said:


> When you are doing Orlando, it's pretty much always LAX hey?



It's pretty much always LAX. We flew out of SNA once round trip to Chicago.  We were stuck on the Tarmac in Chicago for like 3-4 hours. We took off so late that SNA closed for landings, so the plane had to divert to LAX, and passengers were bussed back to SNA.  We had someone pick us up and we went back to retrieve our car using our second car.  Ever since that happened we don't want to get stuck like that again, so we pretty much always fly out of LAX.



DnA2010 said:


> Mmm that looks good! Doesn't help I'm almost done work and hungry!



That was just an image I found online, but it sure does look good!



DnA2010 said:


> Oh they put you in with a scooter mostly solo hey?



It's one scooter per skyliner, so if you have a party of five and one scooter, you can all ride in one car, but if you have two scooters, each scooter has to go in it's own car.



DnA2010 said:


> I got distracted in this picture..so much that it distracted me from margs and Mexican food!



I noticed that Rachel Maddow was on the TV, but I didn't notice the headline on the bottom of the screen until you pointed it out!  



DnA2010 said:


> I will have to find some more to read I think



Well, I've got at least half a dozen bonus features.  I know that @missjackiemcg is planning on doing a TR from her most recent trip this past week.



DnA2010 said:


> I actually laughed outloud here! Good thing I'm still working from home!!



A lot of people really thought this picture was funny!


----------



## franandaj

Paulines said:


> Alison, you’re a hot ticket, love the picture of Fran cutting onions for your chowda!



That seemed to be a popular one!



Paulines said:


> Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your travels, I’m going to miss reading of your adventures....until the next time!❤



Well, I still have half a dozen "Bonus Features" left to draw from dating from before Thanksgiving to the weekend before the shutdown.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Well... progress?



Even more now.  



pkondz said:


> Oh! I hadn't heard of that. I seldom take pills of that kind. I have to be feeling pretty bad to do so. (Obviously you were, so makes sense.)



I used to take more of them.



pkondz said:


> Hope it heals _completely, quickly._



I still have a dull ache in that area and occasionally still need to take some ibuprofen.



pkondz said:


> I did!
> Um... well... I had the _opposite _experience you had.
> I figured out that it probably wasn't a broken molar so much as a filling broke, and it turns out that was the case. I went in and he poked at it a bit and said "Does that hurt?" I hadn't felt a thing. So he went and gave me another filling without having to freeze it. It was a breeze and felt great immediately. He even said "That must've been the easiest filling you've ever gotten."
> And he was right!



Glad it was that easy.



pkondz said:


> I'm not an "eat and purge" kinda guy.



Neither am I



pkondz said:


> Nope. They'd already own that, so no extra cost there.
> Unless it's a small company that rents them.



There are a lot of places in Southern California that make their living by renting out expensive equipment to small budget productions. No one can own everything you need.



pkondz said:


> Okay, that part I figured.
> I just wanted to know what you meant by saying you couldn't do it. Because it was physically impossible or legally impossible.



Kinda a little of both.



pkondz said:


> I'm gonna need a map for this.



The yellow line directly from Point A to point B is the 405.  The blue is the route that I described as the alternative to the direct route.







pkondz said:


> That does seem logical. Unfortunately, peppers don't agree with me, so while I like the taste, I avoid them.



That's too bad.  I rather like them.



pkondz said:


> You're right. I usually do chicken fajitas myself. Never done sausage though. Do you skin and break them up or slice them?



I don't do sausage fajitas.  The sausages are for an Italian dish which you use the red and green peppers. They're chopped up and cooked with sausage, canned tomatoes, and spices, then served over penne. I would have sent you a link to the recipe on my website, but I'm currently chatting with a tech who is looking into why the site is currently down.



pkondz said:


> I don't count that part. I consider it as part of the flight. Plane's moving, plainly.
> I start my countdown when I walk out the door. So not even after we've parked and the door's open.



I go from touchdown.  Since I can turn my phone back on, that's when I resume "real life" in actuality.



pkondz said:


> Had to do that when I was in the wheelchair.



It's a pain. Huh?



pkondz said:


> That's long!!!



You have to go all the way around the horseshoe picking up passengers, then drive to the new lot (which is much farther away than the other one was), find your car, pay, and then drive back.



pkondz said:


> That it wasn't an upgrade, really and the comparison to the GF.



Well some people might have thought it was an upgrade.  Certainly costs more overall, but I had my heart set on SSR, live and learn.



pkondz said:


> Ah okay. Someday I'll see what it's all about.
> 
> 
> Someday.



And now our nations have agreed to close the borders for another month.



pkondz said:


> That's me!
> (the not savvy part. Not planning on buying.)



Well, if you did I would certainly give you advice.



pkondz said:


> That's one real tired kitten.



I've _never _seen a cat sleep like that, and I've seen a lot of cats sleep.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> What a way to go!!!  LOL this is a great picture!



A lot of people got a kick out of this one!



missjackiemcg said:


> I appreciate your honest reflections on the upgrade you received. Definitely interesting to get a different resort than you booked, but it can come at a cost for sure!



It definitely changed the vacation, but that's OK, adds a little spice to things.



missjackiemcg said:


> I'm interested to hear the Disneyland bonus features!!!



I'll have to try and include pictures beyond the average ones that I took that day. Maybe to give a little more overall ambience and such. Im so focused on just what I do, eat and such and forget to just snap away.



missjackiemcg said:


> Disneyland is still on my "someday" list for now, but is definitely a place I am drawn to visit, even more than other Disney parks internationally. I feel the need to walk where Walt walked and see where the vision began!



I totally agree that real Disney fans should come to "land" in addition to "world". Many things have changed, but a lot has also stayed the same.


----------



## DnA2010




----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I used to take more of them.


Oh?


franandaj said:


> I still have a dull ache in that area and occasionally still need to take some ibuprofen.


Long time to be in pain!


franandaj said:


> Glad it was that easy.


Me too!


franandaj said:


> There are a lot of places in Southern California that make their living by renting out expensive equipment to small budget productions. No one can own everything you need.


I can see that.
But I also see Disney owning... well... everything!


franandaj said:


> The yellow line directly from Point A to point B is the 405. The blue is the route that I described as the alternative to the direct route.


And.... I'm at work so I can't see a thing! I'll look later. 


franandaj said:


> I don't do sausage fajitas. The sausages are for an Italian dish which you use the red and green peppers. They're chopped up and cooked with sausage, canned tomatoes, and spices, then served over penne. I would have sent you a link to the recipe on my website, but I'm currently chatting with a tech who is looking into why the site is currently down.


Ohhhh… Sounds good... and not so good for my tummy. Did you get the site back up and running?


franandaj said:


> It's a pain. Huh?


Yes.
"First on! Woot! (later) "Whadya mean I'm gonna be last off???"


franandaj said:


> And now our nations have agreed to close the borders for another month.


Yup. And would be surprised if they don't extend it again.


franandaj said:


> Well, if you did I would certainly give you advice.


I know you would!  


franandaj said:


> I've _never _seen a cat sleep like that, and I've seen a lot of cats sleep.


I bet you have!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> I've not heard of this!



It's a DVC thing.  Free admission to the park, free dinner, free Mickey Bars, and reduced capacity.  We did this on our last night on the March trip at DHS.



Steppesister said:


> I wonder if he'll get one moving forward...?



I'm pretty sure the answer is no. 



Steppesister said:


> Pretty!



Thanks!



Steppesister said:


> I'm in the Satuli camp, but depending on my mood, I could easily see picking Flame Tree too.



There's just nothing there that appeals to me.  I'm not a rice bowl kind of person, and I'd like the salad option even less.



Steppesister said:


> I'm not sure I've ever done that!!! Need to fix that! I guess cuz the park always closes so early.



I definitely had not done it before.  We normally go to the park in the morning and leave before midday.  



Steppesister said:


> Did that come with a side of insulin?!



Actually the side of insulin was on her nightstand.  She shoots herself with Lantus every night.  She's also been known to eat an entire can of frosting in one sitting. She was ready for this challenge.



Steppesister said:


> I've never once been through that queue.  would love to someday!



I was glad to be able to experience it, at least for once.



Steppesister said:


> D'oh!!! :



And now I wonder if I'll get to try it every.  



Steppesister said:


> Great photo of her!



   Thanks!



Steppesister said:


> UGH! Not again!



It's unfortunate, but destined to happen. People who don't understand how to deal with people, and who can't control their speech, suffer the consequences. Because she never had to work in the "real world" she never developed those skills. As a result, winning popularity contests is out of the question. Life is hard.



Steppesister said:


> I didn't even see it!



I didn't until I went back to find the original source material!



Steppesister said:


> That is CRAZY!!! Holy cow!



I know! Where did that one come from?



Steppesister said:


> Fair assessment. And excellent question!



 



Steppesister said:


> Yeah, I just had this rant on my TR a while back. Disney's new "dumb down the resorts" campaign.



Sad. 



Steppesister said:


> I think we'll be starting to see some trickle back to life, but.... could take a bit.



Yeah, Like sometime in 2021.....


----------



## franandaj

ajf1007 said:


> It was a great TR, thanks for taking us with you!



You're welcome!



ajf1007 said:


> Hopefully it's only upwards from here and we're back making Disney memories again!!



I think we have a lot of dark times ahead before we get to go back upwards.  Unfortunately.   



ajf1007 said:


> I hope you both keep well and I look forward to seeing your next adventures!



Well we don't have many next adventures, but I've got a few more memories to share, and hopefully we will have some new adventures as things open up.  Very slowly here since we are still on an uptick and still rising here.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow. That sounds pretty disturbing.



I don't know where my dreams come from, but I don't remember anything quite as strange as this recently, though I have had some weird dreams.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That poor guy! What did he do to tick them off?



I'm not sure, but it's the second Disney resort we've stayed at that only has one bellman.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That sounds like a real pain!



Yeah, when we ever fly again, I'm going to make sure that the third seat is booked on a separate reservation.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, I was there once! I remember that.



One of the few!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That sounds like an ordeal, too.



Yeah, it kind of is, but we are resolved to it if we want to travel.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> The overall impression I get from your comments is that they were trying to make it seem like a true deluxe hotel but do it on the cheap.



That's kind of it.  I didn't see anything that really brought it up to the level of AKL, VGF, Poly, or even BLT.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I have a feeling I'd enjoy the skyliner, but you would think a deluxe resort would have more options.



I can see that with the CBR or the Value resort on the Skyliner to discontinue bus service, but I think they should keep it up at least every half an hour for Riviera.  It is a deluxe after all.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> It's almost like they're trying to make it as miserable as possible.



They're just trying to discourage the resale market, which I understand, but they are also devaluing the points which are really high priced at this time.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I got that sense, too. The theming looks bland to me. I don't see anything that pops as special or different than "nice hotel".



The only one I saw was that rug in front of the elevators.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> The art on the walls looks cool!



Thanks!  I love seeing that every day!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


>


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Oh?



I used to take quite a bit, so much so that my arms started to bruise easily and the skin would rip when I would brush up against something even as soft as a recliner.  For a while it looked like Fran was beating me.  I finally stopped taking it, switched to a natural pain killer and started taking collagen, but I've since recovered.



pkondz said:


> Long time to be in pain!



And it's still there.....



pkondz said:


> I can see that.
> But I also see Disney owning... well... everything!



Actually Disney contracts out a lot of their work, saves them money by not having to own everything.



pkondz said:


> And.... I'm at work so I can't see a thing! I'll look later.



So did'ja?



pkondz said:


> Ohhhh… Sounds good... and not so good for my tummy. Did you get the site back up and running?



Nope, not yet.



pkondz said:


> Yes.
> "First on! Woot! (later) "Whadya mean I'm gonna be last off???"



Exactly.



pkondz said:


> Yup. And would be surprised if they don't extend it again.



Until there is a giant change in our country, we won't see any improvement of this virus.


----------



## franandaj

Festival of Holidays


With all this quarantine and lack of Disney, I need some reminders of my happy place. I wasn't sure if I was going to finish these updates, but after finishing the current TR, I realized how much joy it brings me to post these updates, so I decided to go ahead and continue.


If you remember, in the bonus features for my last TR, we had just spent a nice extended weekend in November at the Grand with friends from the DIS. From the moment we got home, we spent the next week cleaning our house. I'm not talking about just mopping the floors, and cleaning the toilets.  I’m talking serious moving of boxes to offsite locations, opening months worth of packages clogging up the foyer, and then cleaning and vacuuming the vacated spaces, as well as cleaning the bathrooms.  We also had to dig out the dining room table because we would be eating all our home cooked meals with my parents there.


Funny how when my parents visit, we take more pictures of the food than we do of ourselves!















But I get ahead of myself. My parents would be arriving on the Monday before Thanksgiving. So after six days of grueling cleaning and moving boxes, preparing their room for habitation and not just stacking baskets full of clean laundry on the bed, we hopped in the car and drove to Palm Springs. Of course we did!

Even though my parents would be arriving the next day, Fran had purchased tickets to see our favorite YouTube Star Randy Rainbow. The show was at 5PM, so we grabbed a late lunch at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and headed on over to the show.

This was our first time seeing him in person and he was just as fabulous as his videos.









He bases a lot of his songs on Disney music.





In one of his routines he threw paper towels into the audience and I got away with one of the signed rolls.





After the show, even though it was only 8PM, we were so tired from all the cleaning, that we went right to our hotel room and went to sleep. The next morning we were up bright and early. We had breakfast at our favorite deli in the Desert and hit the road home, before 9AM. We beat my parents to our house by many hours and when they finally arrived, we enjoyed a nice dinner and discussed our plans for the following day.


Now we knew that my parents wanted to check out Oga’s Cantina and I had made a reservation for us weeks in advance when they opened them up. What we didn’t know was how we would spend our day before our reservation at 5PM.


Over dinner that first night, we decided that we would check out the Festival of the Holidays for our lunch before heading to our reservation at Oga’s Cantina. So we headed out to the park around 11AM. I don’t know what exactly happened, but Fran ended up ditching us and going off shopping. So for most of the first part of the day, it was just my parents and me enjoying the various treats.


We started off with the Twist on Tradition Booth. I stole the booth pictures from the Internet since I forgot to take any.









They had a Reimagined Beef Wellington. This was definitely the best thing we ate at the Festival.  They had another option which was out of stock at the time, but we got one later.  We also got their Vanilla Pear Mule, which was also quite tasty.





Next we went to Winter Sliderland. 









We got their Fried Turkey Slider on an Herb Roll with Cranberry Slaw and the Beef Pot Roast on a Potato Roll with Horseradish Cream.





I think that my mom opted out of the Turkey slider, not sure if it was the turkey or the fried part, so we saved a portion for Fran.  It was OK.  But I did really like the Pot Roast, I always seem to like this version of the sandwich, I think it’s the combo of the pot roast and the horseradish cream.  Can’t go wrong with that.





As we walked past the Twist on Tradition booth, they were restocked on the Reuben Potato Tots with Russian Dressing and Rye Toast, so we got an order of that.  I thought this was pretty tasty.  I think everyone else did too cause we finished it all off.





By now Fran caught up with us. The Haunted Mansion store was having a blowout sale on Ghosts in a Jar, they were marked down like 50%.  You never see merch at Disneyland marked down, they only do that at the outlets, so she had to buy a bunch of them.  They’re sitting in a box in our dining room. 

Anyways she ate her bite of Turkey slider and then it was time for dessert. Making Spirits Bright booth was nearby and that fit the bill perfectly.









Here we got the Carmelized Apple Cake with Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt Creme Anglaise and Salted Caramel Sauce.  I think this was supposed to replace my coveted Sticky Toffee Pudding. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t nearly as good as it’s predecessor.





We got two and split this.  





We also got two of these and split them. Hot Cocoa Marshmallow Macaron. Mom declined her portion as she has a problem with nuts and since it’s made with almond flour, she didn’t want to chance it.





We wrapped it up and put it in a basket of one of the scooters.  We found it again in January.  

By now, it was getting close to our time for our Oga’s Cantina reservation (3PM), so we started to make the long trek back to SWGE.  We walked my parents through the entrance near Critter Country. WE walked them through the Marketplace which was a little bit of a mistake.  My Dad wanted to stop and look at things, but because they walk fairly slowly, we were already 10 minutes late for our reservation. However, we made it just fine and were seated at a booth.

I ordered my favorite, the Jedi Mind Trick.





Fran took our picture to document that we were there.  She jumped the gun a little bit on this first picture.





OK. That’s better!





This is Mom’s drink, she got the Outer Rim.





The people on the other end of the table saw that Fran wasn’t in the picture and offered to take one of all of us.





After we finished our drinks, we didn’t see the need for a second one.  Plus, we had a 5:30 reservation at Steakhouse 55 and with the speed that my parents walk, we were in danger of running very late. Fran let my father ride her scooter in hopes that he would move faster, but he went just as leisurely on the scooter as he did walking. Eventually she gave up and kicked me off my scooter, so she and my father rode the scooters while my Mom and I walked. We need to remember that they move slowly and either get us all scooters or not plan a lot of distance.


*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*


Steakhouse 55 is an old school style Steakhouse in the Disneyland Hotel. 





It’s got booths along the walls, dark lighting, and Black and White photos of Celebrities on the wall.  Oh and there are plenty of pictures of Walt Disney himself.













I’m sorry about the blurriness of these pictures, but they give you an idea of the ambience.













According to my pictures the food service started at 6:01PM, so we must have made it in reasonable time.  This is our Amuse Bouche, I don’t remember what was in it, but there must have been some sort of nut issue because my Mom declined this one as well.





Fran and I ordered the Onion Soup, but we told them that we wanted to split it.  This portion was very tasty and just the right size.





While we were waiting for our food, we asked if Chef Marcel was in the house, but were told that he had been in for the breakfast shift and gone home.

Fran and I had ordered the bone in Rib Eye to split (my Dad got his own). 





My Mom ordered Halibut and said that it was quite good.





For the table we had ordered Truffle Mac and Cheese.





And we also ordered some Asparagus with Hollandaise.





And then the plates kept coming….they said that courtesy of Marcel they were giving us some Black Truffle Fritters….





And flash fried spinach.





Here is my plate:





Boy does this make me miss dining out at Disney!  Maybe by the time I post this we will be back! (Obviously I was being overly hopeful when I wrote that.  )

So the steak was awesome, as always.  The asparagus was very good, nothing like hollandaise to make anything taste good.  The spinach was OK. The consistency didn’t do a lot for me, it was strange to put a mass of spinach in your mouth and it would instantly reduce to almost nothing.  I also realized this evening that I’m not a huge fan of the flavor of Truffles. They taste a little bit like what I imagine dirt would taste like, so I think I’ll be ordering potatoes instead of the Mac or the truffled fritters. No worries though, I did not go hungry.

I did save enough room for something that I had heard about a week or so before.  If you remember way back when I shared a weekend that we spent with friends in a two bedroom lockoff just 10 days before this, Fran and I did a small amount of shopping before heading home again. While talking to the Cast Member he told me about a dessert that had just been added to the menu at S55.  It was a Brown Butter Sugar Cookie, Bourbon Sabayon, Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream, Smoked Salt, Orange Tuile.  Wow!  This was Ah-mazing!





My Dad got the Sourdough Bread Pudding, Caramel Sauce, Sherry Macerated Cherries, Toffee Ice Cream.  He was very happy with his choice as well.





We rolled out of there, pleasantly full, with a bag full of leftovers to enjoy for the next few days.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I used to take quite a bit, so much so that my arms started to bruise easily and the skin would rip when I would brush up against something even as soft as a recliner.


Holy crap! Alison!!!


franandaj said:


> I finally stopped taking it, switched to a natural pain killer and started taking collagen, but I've since recovered.


Thank goodness!


franandaj said:


> And it's still there.....





franandaj said:


> Actually Disney contracts out a lot of their work, saves them money by not having to own everything.


I know. I was kidding. 


franandaj said:


> So did'ja?



Long way around!


franandaj said:


> Nope, not yet.


Really! Long time to be down.


franandaj said:


> Until there is a giant change in our country, we won't see any improvement of this virus.


yeah...


----------



## tiggrbaby

How fun to see Randy Rainbow in person!  I think that he is brilliant!

What a lovely day with your parents!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> after finishing the current TR, I realized how much joy it brings me to post these updates, so I decided to go ahead and continue.


Lucky for us! 


franandaj said:


> I’m talking serious moving of boxes to offsite locations, opening months worth of packages clogging up the foyer, and then cleaning and vacuuming the vacated spaces, as well as cleaning the bathrooms. We also had to dig out the dining room table because we would be eating all our home cooked meals with my parents there.


big job! Lots of work!


franandaj said:


> Funny how when my parents visit, we take more pictures of the food than we do of ourselves!



In that first photo, is that ribs or chicken?


franandaj said:


> we hopped in the car and drove to Palm Springs. Of course we did!


Of course you did! One place I'd like to see, actually.


franandaj said:


> Fran had purchased tickets to see our favorite YouTube Star Randy Rainbow.


I've never heard of him.


franandaj said:


> This was our first time seeing him in person and he was just as fabulous as his videos.


Glad you enjoyed the show. 


franandaj said:


> In one of his routines he threw paper towels into the audience and I got away with one of the signed rolls.


Score! 
Will you use it or put it in a place of honour?


franandaj said:


> Fran ended up ditching us and going off shopping.


When ya gotta shop, ya gotta shop.


franandaj said:


> They had a Reimagined Beef Wellington. This was definitely the best thing we ate at the Festival.


Very interesting presentation!


franandaj said:


> Next we went to Winter Sliderland.


Anything with "slider" in the title has my attention.


franandaj said:


> the Reuben Potato Tots with Russian Dressing and Rye Toast,


That sounds good.


franandaj said:


> They’re sitting in a box in our dining room.


Waiting for ebay?


franandaj said:


> Hot Cocoa Marshmallow Macaron.


Sounds yummy!


franandaj said:


> We wrapped it up and put it in a basket of one of the scooters. We found it again in January.



Guess I won't ask how it was!


franandaj said:


> The people on the other end of the table saw that Fran wasn’t in the picture and offered to take one of all of us.


Nice of them. And glad you could all get in the shot. 


franandaj said:


> Fran let my father ride her scooter in hopes that he would move faster, but he went just as leisurely on the scooter as he did walking.


 


franandaj said:


> Steakhouse 55 is an old school style Steakhouse in the Disneyland Hotel.


I love that. Need to go there too!


franandaj said:


> Fran and I ordered the Onion Soup


Ohhhhh… that looks so good! How was it in comparison to others you've had?


franandaj said:


> Fran and I had ordered the bone in Rib Eye to split (my Dad got his own).


I'm drooling!


franandaj said:


> For the table we had ordered Truffle Mac and Cheese.


was going to ask, but...


franandaj said:


> And we also ordered some Asparagus with Hollandaise.


Charred I see. I always steam mine, but maybe should do that.


franandaj said:


> they said that courtesy of Marcel they were giving us some Black Truffle Fritters….


But... he wasn't there?  


franandaj said:


> And flash fried spinach.


Nope. Pass.


franandaj said:


> Boy does this make me miss dining out at Disney! Maybe by the time I post this we will be back! (Obviously I was being overly hopeful when I wrote that.  )


 


franandaj said:


> nothing like hollandaise to make anything taste good.





franandaj said:


> I also realized this evening that I’m not a huge fan of the flavor of Truffles. They taste a little bit like what I imagine dirt would taste like, so I think I’ll be ordering potatoes instead of the Mac or the truffled fritters.


Okay, that answers my question. I'm not sure if I've had more than just a tiny bit of truffle. I think I might try it, but... will temper my expectations.


franandaj said:


> It was a Brown Butter Sugar Cookie, Bourbon Sabayon, Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream, Smoked Salt, Orange Tuile. Wow! This was Ah-mazing!


Wow, that sounds good...


franandaj said:


> My Dad got the Sourdough Bread Pudding, Caramel Sauce, Sherry Macerated Cherries, Toffee Ice Cream. He was very happy with his choice as well.


...as does that. I'd be hard pressed not to order both!


----------



## missjackiemcg

Yumm, I shouldn't have read that update while hungry!!!  Everything sounds so delicious, and Steakhouse 55 looks like a wonderful ambiance!  I love the pictures of Walt you shared


----------



## Mom2m&k

Those desserts look divine! I’m with you..I recently decided that truffle really isn’t my thing!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> I realized how much joy it brings me to post these updates, so I decided to go ahead and continue.



They bring Disney joy to us too, thank you 



franandaj said:


>


MMM this looks soon good! Is that chili by the ribs?



franandaj said:


> In one of his routines he threw paper towels into the audience and I got away with one of the signed rolls.



I saw this and was like ahhhh...too fun!




franandaj said:


> Reimagined Beef Wellington.



Yummy! We meant to try this, but never did



franandaj said:


>


MMM mickey shaped food! :drooling: 



franandaj said:


>



I think I would polish off both of these too



franandaj said:


> We wrapped it up and put it in a basket of one of the scooters. We found it again in January.



Been there done that..nothing like finding leftovers months later..



franandaj said:


> he Jedi Mind Trick.



Yum! this is a good one!



franandaj said:


> OK. That’s better!



Nice pic, your dad looks so content! 



franandaj said:


> got the Outer Rim.



I know we got this one, but I don't remember the orange stuff on top, but maybe D had drank that part..



franandaj said:


> We need to remember that they move slowly and either get us all scooters or not plan a lot of distance.



That's a long haul, especially coming from DCA already




franandaj said:


> Steakhouse 55 is an old school style Steakhouse in the Disneyland Hotel.



It looks like a very classy, debonair sort of place. 



franandaj said:


> Oh and there are plenty of pictures of Walt Disney himself.



D and I both love old Walt pics  you got some nice pics of the pics 




franandaj said:


> This portion was very tasty and just the right size.



That looks spot on, especially the cheesy top bit!




franandaj said:


>



I could go for that steak right now and it's not even 9 am...



franandaj said:


> Halibut and said that it was quite good.



And this- I love halibut too



franandaj said:


> black Truffle Fritters….



They look pretty tasty, I do like things in a doughnut form tho. 



franandaj said:


> I also realized this evening that I’m not a huge fan of the flavor of Truffles. They taste a little bit like what I imagine dirt would taste like, so I think I’ll be ordering potatoes instead of the Mac or the truffled fritters.



This is how I feel about mangos/most mango flavoured stuff..taste like what I imagine dirt to taste like...



franandaj said:


> It was a Brown Butter Sugar Cookie, Bourbon Sabayon, Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream, Smoked Salt, Orange Tuile. Wow! This was Ah-mazing!



MMmm MMmm MMmm! that sounds great- the bourbon, the vanilla and salt- sounds devine!!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> With all this quarantine and lack of Disney, I need some reminders of my happy place.



Sounds legit to me.



franandaj said:


> Even though my parents would be arriving the next day, Fran had purchased tickets to see our favorite YouTube Star Randy Rainbow.



No idea who that is.  I know you're shocked.



franandaj said:


> I don’t know what exactly happened, but Fran ended up ditching us and going off shopping.



Should I be shocked by this?



franandaj said:


> We wrapped it up and put it in a basket of one of the scooters. We found it again in January.



  



franandaj said:


> Fran let my father ride her scooter in hopes that he would move faster, but he went just as leisurely on the scooter as he did walking.







franandaj said:


> Steakhouse 55 is an old school style Steakhouse in the Disneyland Hotel.



Mmmm...steak.



franandaj said:


> And flash fried spinach.



Gee...thanks, Marcel.  Don't do me any more favors, ok?



franandaj said:


> Boy does this make me miss dining out at Disney! Maybe by the time I post this we will be back!



It's fun to dream, isn't it?



franandaj said:


> They taste a little bit like what I imagine dirt would taste like, so I think I’ll be ordering potatoes instead of the Mac or the truffled fritters.



This sounds like something I would say!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> How fun to see Randy Rainbow in person! I think that he is brilliant!



He is!  He does everything in his little home studio too!



tiggrbaby said:


> What a lovely day with your parents!



It was.  I miss days like that.


----------



## tiggrbaby

franandaj said:


> He is!  He does everything in his little home studio too!
> 
> 
> 
> It was.  I miss days like that.


Did you see that RR has a memoir coming out next year?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...b43328-d1fa-11ea-826b-cc394d824e35_story.html


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Lucky for us!



Well...if you say so!



pkondz said:


> big job! Lots of work!



And the house is even worse now. I don't think I could even think about having my parents visit. We will definitely go to their house for the holiday this year. I think we get Christmas.  Although I'm not sure they want to travel to Seattle to see my sister's family in the current conditions.



pkondz said:


> In that first photo, is that ribs or chicken?



Ribs. We made them in the Instant Pot. Baby Backs.



pkondz said:


> Of course you did! One place I'd like to see, actually.



When we played in their band we used to drive out there every other week, and would end up spending several nights/weekends a year out there. We got to know the place pretty well. Its changed a bit since then, and I'm sure even more now.



pkondz said:


> I've never heard of him.



I've told you about him before. He does mainly political humor, so you might not find him so funny, although my Austrian friends think he's hilarious.



pkondz said:


> Glad you enjoyed the show.



He was lots if fun!



pkondz said:


> Score!
> Will you use it or put it in a place of honour?



Right now its in one of my curio cabinets in the foyer.



pkondz said:


> When ya gotta shop, ya gotta shop.







pkondz said:


> Very interesting presentation!



Well it is Disney. I wonder how long it took them to make all those mickey shaped puff pastries.



pkondz said:


> Anything with "slider" in the title has my attention.



Me too, sort of. I wouldn't be keen on a salmon slider.



pkondz said:


> Waiting for ebay?



Pretty much. Like all the other clutter in our house.



pkondz said:


> Sounds yummy!
> 
> Guess I won't ask how it was!



Well we bought two. Between three of us we ate one, and it was very rich and much larger than I was expecting. It was very good, but it was like four times the size of a normal macaron.



pkondz said:


> Nice of them. And glad you could all get in the shot.



  I rarely take pictures of us, so its nice to have one!



pkondz said:


> I love that. Need to go there too!



Geez I miss that place.



pkondz said:


> Ohhhhh… that looks so good! How was it in comparison to others you've had?



It waa excellent. Different in that it didn't have the croutons floating on the top and the cheese wasn't gooey and stringy, but still mighty tasty. There isn't much there I've had that's not yummy.



pkondz said:


> I'm drooling!







pkondz said:


> was going to ask, but...



Yeah, I kept trying to be a fan, everyone else seems to love them, but I finally realized that I just don't. 



pkondz said:


> Charred I see. I always steam mine, but maybe should do that.



I was roasting mine for a period, but Fran objected so I'm back to strictly steaming them.



pkondz said:


> But... he wasn't there?



I think they have standing orders for protocol with certain people. I'm pretty sure that they keep a dossier of some folks.



pkondz said:


> Okay, that answers my question. I'm not sure if I've had more than just a tiny bit of truffle. I think I might try it, but... will temper my expectations.



Good luck. Then again you guys probably have more places that are open up there.



pkondz said:


> Wow, that sounds good...







pkondz said:


> ...as does that. I'd be hard pressed not to order both!



Except I was so full, I really had to work to finish it.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> And the house is even worse now.


Uh, oh! Why?


franandaj said:


> We will definitely go to their house for the holiday this year. I think we get Christmas. Although I'm not sure they want to travel to Seattle to see my sister's family in the current conditions.


Yeah... I'm not exactly keen on traveling... well... anywhere, right now.


franandaj said:


> Ribs. We made them in the Instant Pot. Baby Backs.


I've done that! DW is not a fan of ribs so I _very_ rarely make them.


franandaj said:


> I've told you about him before. He does mainly political humor, so you might not find him so funny, although my Austrian friends think he's hilarious.


Oh, right!!  I forgot. And I still haven't seen any of his stuff. Keep forgetting.


franandaj said:


> Well it is Disney. I wonder how long it took them to make all those mickey shaped puff pastries.


Yes, and... good question.


franandaj said:


> Me too, sort of. I wouldn't be keen on a salmon slider.


Hmmm... I might be. Depends on how it's cooked and what else is on it.


franandaj said:


> It was very good, but it was like four times the size of a normal macaron.


Too much of a good thing?


franandaj said:


> I rarely take pictures of us, so its nice to have one!





franandaj said:


> It waa excellent. Different in that it didn't have the croutons floating on the top and the cheese wasn't gooey and stringy, but still mighty tasty. There isn't much there I've had that's not yummy.


mmmmmm… want.


franandaj said:


> I was roasting mine for a period, but Fran objected so I'm back to strictly steaming them.


Roasting. Interesting. Never thought of doing them that way.


franandaj said:


> I think they have standing orders for protocol with certain people. I'm pretty sure that they keep a dossier of some folks.


Wouldn't be surprised.


franandaj said:


> Good luck. Then again you guys probably have more places that are open up there.


Possibly? I don't know. Restaurants are allowed to be open at 50% capacity I think.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> Yumm, I shouldn't have read that update while hungry!!!  Everything sounds so delicious, and Steakhouse 55 looks like a wonderful ambiance!  I love the pictures of Walt you shared



That is a common problem with my TRs!  

I miss S55!


----------



## franandaj

Mom2m&k said:


> Those desserts look divine! I’m with you..I recently decided that truffle really isn’t my thing!



I think wonderful desserts is something I really miss. I've been making dessert almost every night as kind of a reward for making it through the day (again). But mine are mostly simple, brownies, rice krispy treats, cookies, boxed cake mixes....


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> They bring Disney joy to us too, thank you



And I figured out a way to continue TRs even if I don't get back to Disney this year. I guess they won't be TRs, but they'll be Disney entertaining!



DnA2010 said:


> MMM this looks soon good! Is that chili by the ribs?



No, baked beans.  Chili would be its own meal.



DnA2010 said:


> I saw this and was like ahhhh...too fun!



Have you seen his videos?



DnA2010 said:


> Yummy! We meant to try this, but never did



It was very good!



DnA2010 said:


> MMM mickey shaped food! :drooling:







DnA2010 said:


> I think I would polish off both of these too



I wasn't a fan of the turkey, but liked the other one.



DnA2010 said:


> Been there done that..nothing like finding leftovers months later..



At least we haven't had that problem since then.



DnA2010 said:


> Yum! this is a good one!







DnA2010 said:


> Nice pic, your dad looks so content!



He's a pretty chill dude.



DnA2010 said:


> I know we got this one, but I don't remember the orange stuff on top, but maybe D had drank that part..



It was a little weird the time that I got it.



DnA2010 said:


> That's a long haul, especially coming from DCA already



It is.  We actually picked up the car at the Grand and drove to the DLH.  We had a bottle of wine in the car that we couldn't take in the parks.



DnA2010 said:


> It looks like a very classy, debonair sort of place.



It is!



DnA2010 said:


> D and I both love old Walt pics  you got some nice pics of the pics



Actually I stole those from other people that I've been there with.  



DnA2010 said:


> That looks spot on, especially the cheesy top bit!



So yummy......



DnA2010 said:


> I could go for that steak right now and it's not even 9 am...



Steak is good at any time of day!



DnA2010 said:


> And this- I love halibut too



I do too, I just wish it wasn't so expensive.



DnA2010 said:


> They look pretty tasty, I do like things in a doughnut form tho.



Usually anything fried is pretty good on my list.



DnA2010 said:


> This is how I feel about mangos/most mango flavoured stuff..taste like what I imagine dirt to taste like...



Huh, interesting that mangoes have that effect on you.



DnA2010 said:


> MMmm MMmm MMmm! that sounds great- the bourbon, the vanilla and salt- sounds devine!!



When the guy at 1901 told me about it, I knew that I had to have it!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sounds legit to me.



I'm hoping we'll hear some more stories from you. Your family has interesting adventures that are fun to read about.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> No idea who that is. I know you're shocked.



Well, in your defense you are not a theater geek, or active in the LGBTQ community which is mostly his base.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Should I be shocked by this?



I dont think anyone is.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Mmmm...steak.



 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Gee...thanks, Marcel. Don't do me any more favors, ok?



   



Captain_Oblivious said:


> It's fun to dream, isn't it?



I used to tell Fran that I didn't want take out or drive through, I wanted to go to a place where someone brought me my food on a plate, put it down in front of me, and took it away when I was done. They did all the dishes.  That hasn't happened for 149 days.

The closest I've gotten to that is when my food comes in paper wrappers and I just have to throw it away when it's empty.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> This sounds like something I would say!



I thought of you when I was writing this.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Did you see that RR has a memoir coming out next year?
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...b43328-d1fa-11ea-826b-cc394d824e35_story.html



I didn't see that, and I wish I could read it, but since every newspaper out there wants me to plunk down $30 to be able to read their stories every year, I can't access it.  I got as far as reading the title (which was pretty funny) before they blocked me and tried to get me to subscribe.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Uh, oh! Why?



Ever since this pandemic started she has really stepped up her eBay game.  We've been selling like crazy, but our house was already full of boxes of stuff to sell and then she started bringing back more boxes from storage.  While a ton of stuff _is_ selling, there's probably more that either doesn't get listed.  The clutter factor is nearly unbearable, but I can't do anything about it cause she's never awake long enough to work with me on it.  Many years ago I got in trouble for putting "her stuff" away, so now I don't touch it until she tells me where she wants it.



pkondz said:


> Yeah... I'm not exactly keen on traveling... well... anywhere, right now.



I'm considering going to my parents at Christmastime, but my Mom has already warned me that we wouldn't go anywhere, but at least it would be a change of scenery.



pkondz said:


> I've done that! DW is not a fan of ribs so I _very_ rarely make them.



Fran is a fan of Beef Ribs, not the baby backs.  I save them from all the Prime Ribs that I cook and eventually serve them up for dinner every so often.  I have them on the schedule for Mid August, with some corn and baked beans.



pkondz said:


> Oh, right!!  I forgot. And I still haven't seen any of his stuff. Keep forgetting.



Fran shows me the new videos as soon as they come out, she subscribes to his YouTube channel, and then she posts them on FB.



pkondz said:


> Too much of a good thing?



Yeah, pretty much.  It was pretty rich.



pkondz said:


> mmmmmm… want.



Now I need to put onion soup on the rotation.....I've got so many things planned, I have it through Mid August and in the margin, I'm writing all the things I've thought of that I want to put on the next incarnation of the dinner planning list.



pkondz said:


> Roasting. Interesting. Never thought of doing them that way.



I went through a little roasting phase, where I tried almost everything but spinach, green beans or broccoli.  I think the one that came out the best was zucchini chunks, quartered tomatoes, and red onions.  That was a nice flavor profile.



pkondz said:


> Wouldn't be surprised.



I know that the Cruise Line keeps one.



pkondz said:


> Possibly? I don't know. Restaurants are allowed to be open at 50% capacity I think.



Ours are restricted to outdoor dining only.  They are all building patios and such where the street parking used to be.  Some of the areas of the city are now surreal, as if we are turning into Paris!


----------



## franandaj

Our next scheduled day at the park was just a few days after my parents left to go back home. This wasn’t going to be a big fun park day, but they were releasing a new mug at Trader Sam’s so of course we went out there to pick one up!





This was our only Disney excitement for the day. We sure would have liked to stick around and enjoy some beverages and appetizers at Trader Sam's, but unfortunately we had to remain sober that day. Our band got suckered into rounding out the ranks of another band in the area, and their rehearsals were on Wednesday nights. The concert was on the following Sunday so we really didn't have a lot of choice. We kinda needed to be there. But that was just the beginning of our Disney fun for the week. The remainder of the plans had been in place for many months.

That afternoon, I got a text from Allyson who was flying in this evening. She and her DH had planned on taking their daughter (whom they share custody with the birth mother) down to DL to see the Star Wars stuff and have an extended weekend. They live in BC about four hours out of Vancouver. The trip had been planned for several months, and they were flying on Wednesday. The birth mother of their daughter had the gal’s passport and had been dragging her feet about handing it over to them. Well come Monday, she finally admitted that she had lost the thing, so daughter and father spent Tuesday down in Vancouver filing the paperwork and such so that it would be ready Wednesday morning before their afternoon flight.

Well they got to the passport office Wednesday morning and it seems that the entire Canadian passport system was down. 

Nationwide. 

The passport was supposed to be ready at 10AM and no one had any idea when the sysytem would be back up and running. They had until 1:30PM until it was time to leave for the airport. Allyson had to fly that evening because her niece (who lives in San Francisco) was meeting them for this trip. The girls are similar in age, and it’s always nice when your teenager has a companion their own age. So she couldn’t just leave a minor on her own for the night. The deadline hit and Allyson flew to LAX while Dorian and their daughter went back to the passport office, which was now up and running.

The two of them were rebooked on the first flight Thursday morning, and we made all the necessary changes to our plans in the parks. I’d be meeting Allyson and her niece in the morning and Dad and Daughter would be arriving in the afternoon. They were able to stay with some friends who live near Vancouver, so that saved some extra $$’s on a hotel room that they didn’t have to pay for. 

After some more texting details, Fran offered to pick them up at the airport. We didn’t know if the bad Uber situation at LAX had been resolved and they were already missing half the day, so she said that she would be happy to get them and bring them back to Disney the next day.

We had planned to meet up Thursday morning around 10:30, but with Fran and I we are always running late and it wasn’t until about 10 minutes to 11AM that we arrived. After getting my scooter out of the car, I helped Fran convert the van into something to carry passengers again.  (The second row of seats stows into the floorboards making it very convenient.) And she was off to the airport.

When I met up with Allyson, she told me that after all the hassles from the day before, when Dorian got to the airport to catch his replacement flight, they couldn’t find his reservation. I’m not sure how they got everything sorted out, but they did. It was yet another hassle that they didn’t need.

We headed into Disneyland first.  This update will be sort of light on pictures, I wasn’t too good about remembering to take them. Plus the PhotoPass portion of the Disneyland Website seems to be not working properly. I can’t seem to link any of my pictures. The only ones that show up are the ones I linked before the parks closed. So you'll have to take my cellphone pictures which are mostly taken for the purpose of capturing the code, rather than picture quality. Luckily Allyson got a few pictures that I was able to add to this update!

So our first ride was the Astro Blasters.  Allyson suggested this one. I’d never been on it. It was fun, I tried to take a selfie and nearly dropped my phone so I gave up, but she got a few pictures. 









Good thing because that was the last time I would be riding this ride.  I nearly peed myself trying to get out of the ride vehicle.  

Our next ride was the potty ride for sure!

I’m not sure exactly what rides we did in the morning. I have photo evidence that we rode Space Mountain at some point.





We may have gone on Buzz Lightyear, but I know that we stayed on the East side of the park before deciding to visit the princesses.

Cinderella was first. Allyson and I did solo poses, and then together.

















We met up with Ariel next, when Allyson and I met with her it was nothing special, just smiles and giggles.













But when her niece met up with Ariel, she noticed her shark’s tooth necklace.





And from that point she couldn’t stop talking about how brave she must be to have defeated a shark! She also asked if Ella would be one of her best friends forever and that her other friends would love to meet her and how strong she looked.

Finally we moved on to meet Snow White.













By this point, I believe that Dorian and Maria’s plane had landed and they were going out to the curbside to look for Fran. We headed over to the Matterhorn, but I sat this one out. I’m hit or miss for that ride, and wasn’t feeling up to it that day. I think while they were on the ride, Fran called me, Dorian was trying to get in touch with Allyson. I explained that they were on the ride. Turns out Fran had stopped at their hotel, and somehow, even though Allyson had put his name on the reservation, and told the front desk he would be there to pick up a key, they were giving him a hassle. Somehow he worked it out, and was able to go up to the room to drop off their luggage. Allyson had brought me several bottles of local Ice Wine (which I still need to drink!) and he gave those to Fran to take home.

We decided that it would be best to wait for the two of them while enjoying lunch, and everyone agreed that The Plaza Inn was the best place to do that. While they are known for their Fried Chicken, which Allyson and I split, they also have a number of entrees suitable for Pescatarians, of which there were some in our group.





Just about the time that we started to dig into that Christmassy cake there, Dorian and Maria showed up. They got their own plate of chicken and a piece of cake. I didn’t get pictures, but between our table, we ordered one of each of the seasonal desserts and passed them around the table to try. I liked the one Allyson and I picked the best. It had kind of a minty chocolate flavor to it.

Because Dorian is a HUGE Star Wars fan, we purposely waited until he caught up with us to go to Galaxy’s Edge or Batuu. Because I’d been there so many times by now, I didn’t take any pictures, sorry. Dorian was just beside himself. I’ve never met anyone who knows more about the SW universe than him, and everything we passed he pretty much had a comment to make about it. We went straight for MF:SR, and we got the Teal? Team.





Dorian had to be the pilot, I don’t remember what I got, probably Engineer.





I believe we rode it a couple of times before we decided to hop over to DCA.  I’m using my photos to work out the rest of the day….

Based on the time stamps on my photos, I’m guessing that we rode Soarin’ first since that’s one of the rides that doesn’t have a photo. I’ve got an unidentifiable photo taken at 4:15PM which looks like it could possibly be the preshow for MF:SR, the time stamp on Racers is 6:04PM, so that’s feasible. So I think we got on Racers next. I’m not sure, but I was so tired I fell asleep in the car.





Then we rode Guardians of the Galaxy, since it’s nearby and the time stamp is 6:38PM. 





It was time to call it a day at that point, at least for the rides. So we stopped to have a drink.











Just after 8PM, we said our goodbyes, but not before getting a shot to prove we all met up!





I was going home, and they were going to see WoC. Little did we know that the show had started earlier due to a special private party giveaway event hosted by a local radio station.  They caught the tail end of the show.


I’ll get to the next day a little bit later.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Ever since this pandemic started she has really stepped up her eBay game. We've been selling like crazy, but our house was already full of boxes of stuff to sell and then she started bringing back more boxes from storage. While a ton of stuff _is_ selling, there's probably more that either doesn't get listed. The clutter factor is nearly unbearable, but I can't do anything about it cause she's never awake long enough to work with me on it. Many years ago I got in trouble for putting "her stuff" away, so now I don't touch it until she tells me where she wants it.


Okay, I get it. Also get the "don't touch" think. Oh, how I wish my DW would learn that. <sigh>


franandaj said:


> I'm considering going to my parents at Christmastime, but my Mom has already warned me that we wouldn't go anywhere, but at least it would be a change of scenery.


 That would count for a lot. Would you fly or drive?


franandaj said:


> Fran is a fan of Beef Ribs, not the baby backs. I save them from all the Prime Ribs that I cook and eventually serve them up for dinner every so often.


You save them from Prime Ribs>?!?!???
OMG, I _never_ thought of that! Then again, I _rarely_ have prime rib.


franandaj said:


> Fran shows me the new videos as soon as they come out, she subscribes to his YouTube channel, and then she posts them on FB.


Shoot. Looks like Fran is not on my friend list, then. Because I've never seen that.


franandaj said:


> Now I need to put onion soup on the rotation.....I've got so many things planned, I have it through Mid August and in the margin, I'm writing all the things I've thought of that I want to put on the next incarnation of the dinner planning list.


I should put it on too. But... for me it's more of a cool weather item. So not for a bit. Tomorrow is chops I think and the next day will be a new stew... which is also a cool weather recipe, so don't hold me to any semblance of logic!!!


franandaj said:


> I went through a little roasting phase, where I tried almost everything but spinach, green beans or broccoli. I think the one that came out the best was zucchini chunks, quartered tomatoes, and red onions. That was a nice flavor profile.


That does sound good. 


franandaj said:


> Ours are restricted to outdoor dining only. They are all building patios and such where the street parking used to be. Some of the areas of the city are now surreal, as if we are turning into Paris!



Well, if it works and helps save some restaurants...


franandaj said:


> they were releasing a new mug at Trader Sam’s so of course we went out there to pick one up!


One_???_


franandaj said:


> We sure would have liked to stick around and enjoy some beverages and appetizers at Trader Sam's, but unfortunately we had to remain sober that day.


Boring!
<Stops reading>



Who am I kidding. You know how much _I _drink!


franandaj said:


> The trip had been planned for several months, and they were flying on Wednesday.


<sigh>.... flying... from Canada...


franandaj said:


> The birth mother of their daughter had the gal’s passport and had been dragging her feet about handing it over to them.


 


franandaj said:


> Well come Monday, she finally admitted that she had lost the thing, so daughter and father spent Tuesday down in Vancouver filing the paperwork and such so that it would be ready Wednesday morning before their afternoon flight.


Oh, come on! That's a really crappy thing to do. Even if unintentional.


franandaj said:


> Well they got to the passport office Wednesday morning and it seems that the entire Canadian passport system was down.
> 
> Nationwide.





franandaj said:


> The deadline hit and Allyson flew to LAX while Dorian and their daughter went back to the passport office, which was now up and running.





franandaj said:


> Fran offered to pick them up at the airport.


You guys are _really_ good about doing that. Didn't you pick up Kari when I was there last?


franandaj said:


> when Dorian got to the airport to catch his replacement flight, they couldn’t find his reservation.


Oh, come on...


franandaj said:


> So our first ride was the Astro Blasters. Allyson suggested this one. I’d never been on it.


Nor have I. But... it doesn't look quite as crowded as I thought it would be. Maybe I'll give it a try... more for the photos and to say I've done it.


franandaj said:


> Good thing because that was the last time I would be riding this ride. I nearly peed myself trying to get out of the ride vehicle.





franandaj said:


> Our next ride was the potty ride for sure!





franandaj said:


> We met up with Ariel next, when Allyson and I met with her it was nothing special, just smiles and giggles.


That's not so bad. 
Did she talk about me?


franandaj said:


> And from that point she couldn’t stop talking about how brave she must be to have defeated a shark!


 She must've loved that!


franandaj said:


> We headed over to the Matterhorn, but I sat this one out.


Should ride this one too. My neck and back are both stronger than they have been, so am willing to risk it.


franandaj said:


> even though Allyson had put his name on the reservation, and told the front desk he would be there to pick up a key, they were giving him a hassle.


This just keeps going and going and going and...


franandaj said:


> Allyson had brought me several bottles of local Ice Wine


Inniskillin?


franandaj said:


> While they are known for their Fried Chicken,





franandaj said:


> they also have a number of entrees suitable for Pescatarians


Good to know if I ever bring my oldest down. Which if this stupid virus ever ends, is a possibility.


franandaj said:


> Because Dorian is a HUGE Star Wars fan, we purposely waited until he caught up with us to go to Galaxy’s Edge or Batuu.


Oh! Yes, you have to!


franandaj said:


> Dorian had to be the pilot,


Definitely!


franandaj said:


> I’m not sure, but I was so tired I fell asleep in the car.


 You do that from time to time.


franandaj said:


> So we stopped to have a drink.


And judging from the drink alone, I know just where you went. 


franandaj said:


> I was going home, and they were going to see WoC. Little did we know that the show had started earlier due to a special private party giveaway event hosted by a local radio station. They caught the tail end of the show.


Well, poop.


----------



## rentayenta

I am here for the bonus features!!!

Oh my gaaaawwwwdddd I miss cocktails at Disney and Plaza Inn fried chicken. Can't wait until its safe to go back. Looks like a super fun day!


----------



## dizneeat

Sorry for being absent for such a long time. I have been reading along, but didn't feel up to anything else. 
Comment on the last update: Sounds like a great day, despite the passport troubles! What a shame about WoC - that was such a treat when we saw it.


----------



## missjackiemcg

What a series of headaches for your poor friends!!!  Glad they were all able to meet up with you in the end, and didn't even miss out on lunch   Though I don't really care for cake, I always love checking out what Disney bakers can do with cupcakes, etc.  That little Christmas cake is just as cute as could be!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Okay, I get it. Also get the "don't touch" think. Oh, how I wish my DW would learn that. <sigh>



Waaaaaay back when at the old house, I thought I was helping by putting things away so that the house was not cluttered.  Now there is no place to put anything away, they're all full already.



pkondz said:


> That would count for a lot. Would you fly or drive?



Oh totally drive.  It's only like 375 miles and Fran hates to be without a car, and she despises renting them.



pkondz said:


> You save them from Prime Ribs>?!?!???
> OMG, I _never_ thought of that! Then again, I _rarely_ have prime rib.



We buy half a dozen every year when they go on sale around Thanksgiving/Christmas.  I've been buying the "one bone" versions, which could also be called Cowboy steaks, but I roast them in the same way that I would do a two or three bone roast.  In fact I have that on the schedule for about a week from now.



pkondz said:


> Shoot. Looks like Fran is not on my friend list, then. Because I've never seen that.



I checked and you are on her friend list.  You probably ignored it mixed in with all the "Paw Boost Alerts" that she posts for lost cats.



pkondz said:


> I should put it on too. But... for me it's more of a cool weather item. So not for a bit. Tomorrow is chops I think and the next day will be a new stew... which is also a cool weather recipe, so don't hold me to any semblance of logic!!!



Since our house is heavily air conditioned and we rarely go outside, it doesn't make any difference to me.  I'm making a corn chowder tonight.  About 10 months ago I made the mistake of showing Fran a site called soups online.  I asked her to buy one, just one package of soup that we had purchased at a store near my parents house that we can't get down here.  Well nearly 50 packets of soup later and I'm still trying to use them up.



pkondz said:


> That does sound good.



You should try it, just toss the zucchini, tomatoes and onion in some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about 20-25 minutes.



pkondz said:


> Well, if it works and helps save some restaurants...



I have a feeling that this might be one of those "changes" that I alluded to that will be different post covid.  Back before this really hit us, I knew it would be completely different going forward, but had no idea what those would be.  Outdoor dining in So Cal may really take off after this.  I don't see how a lot of places will go back.



pkondz said:


> One_???_



OK, maybe we got two each of the new mug and a bunch of the old ones they were trying to pawn off....



pkondz said:


> Boring!
> <Stops reading>
> 
> 
> 
> Who am I kidding. You know how much _I _drink!



Yes and I won't make any comparisons as I may incriminate myself. 



pkondz said:


> <sigh>.... flying... from Canada...



Flying....anywhere!



pkondz said:


> Oh, come on! That's a really crappy thing to do. Even if unintentional.







pkondz said:


> You guys are _really_ good about doing that. Didn't you pick up Kari when I was there last?



From her hotel near Disney. That's actually closer.



pkondz said:


> Nor have I. But... it doesn't look quite as crowded as I thought it would be. Maybe I'll give it a try... more for the photos and to say I've done it.



Well, I'm done with it.



pkondz said:


> That's not so bad.
> Did she talk about me?



No. Not at all.   



pkondz said:


> She must've loved that!



I'm not sure, I think she was more embarassed.



pkondz said:


> Should ride this one too. My neck and back are both stronger than they have been, so am willing to risk it.



I'd ride it with you.



pkondz said:


> This just keeps going and going and going and...



Which is why i kept telling you about it, so ridiculous!



pkondz said:


> Inniskillin?



No that's Niagara on the Lake, this was local to BC.



pkondz said:


> Good to know if I ever bring my oldest down. Which if this stupid virus ever ends, is a possibility.



Let's hope it eventually ends. Trump either dies of gets voted out of office 



pkondz said:


> You do that from time to time.



Yes, touring Disney is exhausting.



pkondz said:


> And judging from the drink alone, I know just where you went.



Actually that was Dorian's drink a Manhattan, but you are correct, it looks very similar to my favorite drink at that same establishment.

And since I started this reply we are again now not fully rented. We just got notice today on one of our apartments where a guy who lives in Riverside had rented an apartment as a "crash pad" so he didn't have to drive home from Long Beach every night. Now that everyone is "working from home", he gave notice and is moving out. So again we have a vacancy.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Waaaaaay back when at the old house, I thought I was helping by putting things away so that the house was not cluttered. Now there is no place to put anything away, they're all full already.


Time to buy another house!


 


franandaj said:


> Oh totally drive. It's only like 375 miles and Fran hates to be without a car, and she despises renting them.


Ah! Yeah, that's not bad at all.


franandaj said:


> We buy half a dozen every year when they go on sale around Thanksgiving/Christmas. I've been buying the "one bone" versions, which could also be called Cowboy steaks, but I roast them in the same way that I would do a two or three bone roast. In fact I have that on the schedule for about a week from now.


I have _never _seen them go on sale up here. _Never_.


franandaj said:


> I checked and you are on her friend list. You probably ignored it mixed in with all the "Paw Boost Alerts" that she posts for lost cats.


Odd... Then again, I am not on there very much at all. I look at one or two posts that are at the top of the feed and that's about it. I comment even less.


franandaj said:


> About 10 months ago I made the mistake of showing Fran a site called soups online. I asked her to buy one, just one package of soup that we had purchased at a store near my parents house that we can't get down here. Well nearly 50 packets of soup later and I'm still trying to use them up.





franandaj said:


> You should try it, just toss the zucchini, tomatoes and onion in some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about 20-25 minutes.


Except... neither of the DDs would eat it. I hate cooking two separate meals... which I already do more often that not as Elle is pescatarian.

Hmmm.... maybe.... We'll see.
Roast at 350?


franandaj said:


> OK, maybe we got two each of the new mug and a bunch of the old ones they were trying to pawn off....


 Knew it!


franandaj said:


> Yes and I won't make any comparisons as I may incriminate myself.


 


franandaj said:


> Flying....anywhere!


Yeah... 


franandaj said:


>


Waiting to tell him that there's no passport 2 days before the trip. Either was trying to sabotage it, or just clueless about travel.


franandaj said:


> From her hotel near Disney. That's actually closer.


Still... Nice of you guys.


franandaj said:


> No. Not at all.


Probably misses me too much to talk about it, poor thing.


franandaj said:


> I'm not sure, I think she was more embarassed.


Even better!


franandaj said:


> I'd ride it with you.


Deal!  


franandaj said:


> No that's Niagara on the Lake, this was local to BC.


D'oh! And I've even been there.  


franandaj said:


> Let's hope it eventually ends. Trump either dies of gets voted out of office


It is what it is.


 


franandaj said:


> Actually that was Dorian's drink a Manhattan, but you are correct, it looks very similar to my favorite drink at that same establishment.


Ah.


franandaj said:


> And since I started this reply we are again now not fully rented.


Well, poop.


franandaj said:


> Now that everyone is "working from home", he gave notice and is moving out. So again we have a vacancy.


Hope you can get it rented soon. Good luck with it.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> I am here for the bonus features!!!



Yay!



rentayenta said:


> Oh my gaaaawwwwdddd I miss cocktails at Disney and Plaza Inn fried chicken. Can't wait until its safe to go back. Looks like a super fun day!



I know!  We need some serious cocktails at Disney when they finally reopen!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> so daughter and father spent Tuesday down in Vancouver filing the paperwork and such so that it would be ready Wednesday morning before their afternoon flight.



Man that was a heck of a lesson for Maria on so so so so so many levels- main one being resiliency, and never giving up...



franandaj said:


> Well they got to the passport office Wednesday morning and it seems that the entire Canadian passport system was down.
> 
> Nationwide.



The main issue was that the printers of the passports are controlled by a central system in Ottawa- so while they could process stuff (do all the checks etc) they couldn't actually print passports till the system came up...and turns out there is no back up plan- no intermediary document or passport...awesome...not.




franandaj said:


> The deadline hit and Allyson flew to LAX while Dorian and their daughter went back to the passport office, which was now up and running.



They actually had to drive in to downtown Vancouver to get the passport done there now, as that office had the only printer that had come up...so we went from Surrey, to Richmond where the airport is, dropped me off, then in to Vancouver...thankfully the people at the Surrey office had called down and let them know that D & M were on their way- I gotta say that all parties did want to see this girl get to Disneyland...it did cost us a second application fee and rush fee..I'm not going to go in to how much that annoyed me also.



franandaj said:


> Fran offered to pick them up at the airport.



Bless her heart man...after all the crazy craziness, he was so thrilled to talk her ear off



franandaj said:


> Dorian got to the airport to catch his replacement flight, they couldn’t find his reservation. I’m not sure how they got everything sorted out, but they did. It was yet another hassle that they didn’t need.



They moved them on to a brand new reservation turns out...so he was trying to check in under the old reservation info and of course that didn't work. A supervisor found them right away thankfully.




franandaj said:


> Luckily Allyson got a few pictures that I was able to add to this update!



Some...funny how we both didn't take that many photos..just really did enjoy the day after all the stress.



franandaj said:


> It was fun, I tried to take a selfie and nearly dropped my phone so I gave up, but she got a few pictures.



Actually I think almost dropped it when I distracted you by yelling at you to look at me as I was taking your pic    



franandaj said:


> I nearly peed myself trying to get out of the ride vehicle.



I did warn you that they were insanely hard to get out of LOL



franandaj said:


>



Ella looks like exactly how she describes the trip- "oh wow" "oh Disneyland is so amazing" 
Not sure what I'm doing...



franandaj said:


> We may have gone on Buzz Lightyear, but I know that we stayed on the East side of the park before deciding to visit the princesses.



I can't remember honestly what else we did...we may have done Star Tours, but even that I'm not sure about...

more later!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> But when her niece met up with Ariel, she noticed her shark’s tooth necklace.



This was def one of my best character experiences, best princess one for sure!
Ella was so skeptical/didn't understand Disneyland at all really, and these sort of experiences really made her trip!



franandaj said:


> She also asked if Ella would be one of her best friends forever and that her other friends would love to meet her and how strong she looked.



I think Ella did tell her about the sports she played, including swim team, which Ariel loved of course!



franandaj said:


> We headed over to the Matterhorn, but I sat this one out. I’m hit or miss for that ride, and wasn’t feeling up to it that day.



I enjoy it, but I do miss the honour system cuddle seats 



franandaj said:


> Allyson had put his name on the reservation, and told the front desk he would be there to pick up a key, they were giving him a hassle.



Apparently they had changed the reservation back to my maiden name when they added my points number or something...of course part of the journey couldn't be smooth...




franandaj said:


> Allyson had brought me several bottles of local Ice Wine (which I still need to drink!)



I hope you enjoy it, but not too too much as who knows when I will actually be able to bring you more  




franandaj said:


>



This chicken was just spot on too, nice and crispy...mmm now I really want fried chicken and I don't think there's anywhere here to get it 



franandaj said:


> I liked the one Allyson and I picked the best. It had kind of a minty chocolate flavor to it.



Chocolate and mint are one of my fav flavours, I'm pretty sure I polished this bad boy off when everyone was full :sorrynotsorry: 



franandaj said:


> Because Dorian is a HUGE Star Wars fan



HUGE indeed, huge indeed...I will have to see if I can figure out a way to send you a cameo I got him for our anniversary, done by one of the actors who is in Mandelorian, and who is the main C3P0 with Anthony Daniels starting to pull back in the role.



franandaj said:


> I didn’t take any pictures, sorry.



I didn't really either, I do have lots from the next day when we went back, but we mainly just enjoyed this visit



franandaj said:


> Dorian had to be the pilot, I don’t remember what I got, probably Engineer.



I wish I'd been able to get a photo of the sheer joy on this man's face when he sat down to fly the Falcon...but those of you who have experienced the ride know the urgency the CM's have in getting you in and buckled up...

My main thing about the Falcon is that the gunner position should have sweet swiveling chair that  Luke fires in...



franandaj said:


> We decided that it would be best to wait for the two of them while enjoying lunch



Thinking back, before lunch I think I also may have dragged you on IASW Holiday, and I think we did PP


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


>



Asleep again   


franandaj said:


> have a drink.



Yum, I remember that  being a particularly good one, with the most fabulous ice!



franandaj said:


> They caught the tail end of the show.



Yup, it was good, I can't remember right now if we made it back another night, I suspect not as I think we were only there 3 nights...



franandaj said:


> Let's hope it eventually ends. Trump either dies of gets voted out of office



What she said, what she said.



franandaj said:


> rented an apartment as a "crash pad" so he didn't have to drive home from Long Beach every night.



bummer, sounds like an easy tenant too.



pkondz said:


> I have _never _seen them go on sale up here. _Never_.



Check after holidays- I usually pick up a couple of turkeys at that time. 



pkondz said:


> Waiting to tell him that there's no passport 2 days before the trip. Either was trying to sabotage it, or just clueless about travel.



We will never know...I'd like to hope she was just "sure she knew where it was" - this added to the point of why we keep everything important...


----------



## pkondz

DnA2010 said:


> Check after holidays- I usually pick up a couple of turkeys at that time.


Turkeys? Sure, I get that. But prime rib? That I've never seen go on sale.


DnA2010 said:


> We will never know...I'd like to hope she was just "sure she knew where it was" - this added to the point of why we keep everything important...


No, you're right. We won't know. But... just... I haven't used mine or the DDs passports in a while. But I know _exactly_ where they are.


----------



## franandaj

dizneeat said:


> Sorry for being absent for such a long time. I have been reading along, but didn't feel up to anything else.
> Comment on the last update: Sounds like a great day, despite the passport troubles! What a shame about WoC - that was such a treat when we saw it.



I can understand being blah. With the way the world is today its understandable.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> What a series of headaches for your poor friends!!! Glad they were all able to meet up with you in the end, and didn't even miss out on lunch



It all worked out in the end.  Thank goodness.



missjackiemcg said:


> Though I don't really care for cake, I always love checking out what Disney bakers can do with cupcakes, etc. That little Christmas cake is just as cute as could be!



I miss Disney sweet treats.  I just don't measure up to what their bakers can do.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Time to buy another house!



With what?    I can't even pay off all the credit cards in full!   



pkondz said:


> I have _never _seen them go on sale up here. _Never_.



Huh.  That's odd.  Stuff goes on sale here often.  Drumsticks and Thighs are $.99 lb and Rib Eyes are $6.99.



pkondz said:


> Odd... Then again, I am not on there very much at all. I look at one or two posts that are at the top of the feed and that's about it. I comment even less.



I rarely post, but I put up a rather silly one yesterday.  Just goes to show I'm really bored with this stay at home thing.



pkondz said:


> Except... neither of the DDs would eat it. I hate cooking two separate meals... which I already do more often that not as Elle is pescatarian.



I hate doing that too, but I have done that a few times for Fran and myself, but rarely.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm.... maybe.... We'll see.
> Roast at 350?



I do it at 325.....



pkondz said:


> Waiting to tell him that there's no passport 2 days before the trip. Either was trying to sabotage it, or just clueless about travel.



Not knowing the other party, I can't comment.



pkondz said:


> Probably misses me too much to talk about it, poor thing.



I thought you called it off after that Small World fiasco.



pkondz said:


> It is what it is.







pkondz said:


> Hope you can get it rented soon. Good luck with it.



He moved out today and has a maid coming in the next day or two, so at least I get two weeks head start on renting it out.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Man that was a heck of a lesson for Maria on so so so so so many levels- main one being resiliency, and never giving up...



I can imagine.....good that it came out OK, I hate the lessons you learn when everything doesn't come out.



DnA2010 said:


> They actually had to drive in to downtown Vancouver to get the passport done there now, as that office had the only printer that had come up...so we went from Surrey, to Richmond where the airport is, dropped me off, then in to Vancouver...thankfully the people at the Surrey office had called down and let them know that D & M were on their way-



I'm familiar with the distances, that is out of the way.



DnA2010 said:


> I gotta say that all parties did want to see this girl get to Disneyland...it did cost us a second application fee and rush fee..I'm not going to go in to how much that annoyed me also.



I didn't think about that aspect of the trip.  Of course you were talking to folks in the office, and telling them where you were going. That would definitely get folks on board!



DnA2010 said:


> Bless her heart man...after all the crazy craziness, he was so thrilled to talk her ear off



I'm guessing you're saying that sincerely and not they way they mean it in the South.  You don't want to hear a Southern Gal say, "Oh, Bless her heart...."  



DnA2010 said:


> They moved them on to a brand new reservation turns out...so he was trying to check in under the old reservation info and of course that didn't work. A supervisor found them right away thankfully.



That's good!



DnA2010 said:


> Some...funny how we both didn't take that many photos..just really did enjoy the day after all the stress.



That had been a really busy time for me, so it was nice to slow down and take it easy that day.



DnA2010 said:


> Actually I think almost dropped it when I distracted you by yelling at you to look at me as I was taking your pic



Happens all the time at Disney!   



DnA2010 said:


> I did warn you that they were insanely hard to get out of LOL



Yes, you did!   



DnA2010 said:


> Ella looks like exactly how she describes the trip- "oh wow" "oh Disneyland is so amazing"
> Not sure what I'm doing...



I can't tell about me either.  I think I didn't hit my pose on time.



DnA2010 said:


> I can't remember honestly what else we did...we may have done Star Tours, but even that I'm not sure about...



I'm not sure we did that one....we would have gone in a funny entrance if we did, and I don't remember that.



DnA2010 said:


> This was def one of my best character experiences, best princess one for sure!
> Ella was so skeptical/didn't understand Disneyland at all really, and these sort of experiences really made her trip!



This was the best Princess experience I've had, but I've had some even more fun ones on the cruise lines.



DnA2010 said:


> I think Ella did tell her about the sports she played, including swim team, which Ariel loved of course!



I remember her really embarassing Ella



DnA2010 said:


> I enjoy it, but I do miss the honour system cuddle seats



Those were....interesting if you were riding with someone you didn't know all that well.....



DnA2010 said:


> Apparently they had changed the reservation back to my maiden name when they added my points number or something...of course part of the journey couldn't be smooth...



Of course not.



DnA2010 said:


> I hope you enjoy it, but not too too much as who knows when I will actually be able to bring you more



I wish that Fran would be more interested in drinking it.  I hate to open the bottle all alone.



DnA2010 said:


> This chicken was just spot on too, nice and crispy...mmm now I really want fried chicken and I don't think there's anywhere here to get it



Really?     We have so many places that you can get good fried chicken.  Even the grocery stores make a decent one. We'll just get a couple chicken thighs for an afternoon snack when we're out running around.



DnA2010 said:


> Chocolate and mint are one of my fav flavours, I'm pretty sure I polished this bad boy off when everyone was full :sorrynotsorry:



Yes, you did, and I'm glad you didn't let it go to waste!



DnA2010 said:


> HUGE indeed, huge indeed...I will have to see if I can figure out a way to send you a cameo I got him for our anniversary, done by one of the actors who is in Mandelorian, and who is the main C3P0 with Anthony Daniels starting to pull back in the role.



A cameo?  Not sure what that is.....



DnA2010 said:


> I didn't really either, I do have lots from the next day when we went back, but we mainly just enjoyed this visit



When they reopen, and I mean when, I will take so many pictures on my next visit.



DnA2010 said:


> I wish I'd been able to get a photo of the sheer joy on this man's face when he sat down to fly the Falcon...but those of you who have experienced the ride know the urgency the CM's have in getting you in and buckled up...



They are on a really tight schedule.  I'm not sure if it was with you or a different party where I had it explained to me how the ride works/moves and loads and unloads and why there are extensions, and additional scenes that you can experience if they need to extend the timing.



DnA2010 said:


> My main thing about the Falcon is that the gunner position should have sweet swiveling chair that Luke fires in...



That would be....AWESOME!



DnA2010 said:


> Thinking back, before lunch I think I also may have dragged you on IASW Holiday, and I think we did PP



Maybe PP, but I don't think we did IASW.  I know that I did it in November and I think I would have objected on the grounds that I had done my duty for the year.   



DnA2010 said:


> Asleep again



A day at Disney is tiring!



DnA2010 said:


> Yum, I remember that being a particularly good one, with the most fabulous ice!



I love that ice! I need to make more cocktails at home!



DnA2010 said:


> Yup, it was good, I can't remember right now if we made it back another night, I suspect not as I think we were only there 3 nights...



I would imagine not, but I'm not sure what you did Saturday night.



DnA2010 said:


> What she said, what she said.



   



DnA2010 said:


> bummer, sounds like an easy tenant too.



He was, paid his rent electronically, was barely there.  At least he didn't trash the place, and he's having a maid come in tomorrow or the next day, and then he'll be out for good.  Gives me an extra two weeks of time to try and rent it out.


----------



## franandaj

After a fun day at the park, the next day I had my long awaited tub repair scheduled.  Those of you who have followed along on my various TRs might remember, back in July of 2019 the faucet of my walk-in tub sprung a leak. My regular plumber took a look at it and couldn’t figure it out. All he could do was turn off the cold water at the tub’s plumbing inside the frame. Since you can’t take a bath with only 120 degree water, it became unusable. 

The installer of the tub initially didn’t want to take any responsibility since it had been five years since it was put in. However, at some point they had a change of heart and decided that they would do it as a warranty call.

The first guys that they sent out in August were pretty knowledgeable.  They suggested that they cut a hole in the wall where the valves for the tub are located. See on the left side of the tub.





The tub installers put in that wall when the tub was put in, and actually it would have been a prudent move on their part to do this when it was installed, but alas no one thought of it at the time.

So this first team took some pictures, made some notes on their iPad and said they would contact me after they talked to their supervisor.

Later in the month of August, another guy came out to take a look. He thought that all that panel installation stuff was overkill and he could do it just fine as it was. But they had sent him with the wrong part, so he just left.

During the month of September I had numerous conversations with the dispatch guy. He was looking for the right part, and keeping me in the loop, and called me nearly every week to let me know. Towards the end of the month, he called with success and offered to send someone out on October 4, the day before our Fall trip to WDW and our annual band conference.

I knew that wouldn't work, and decided to set it up for two days after we got back. If you read that TR, you'll know that our plane from Orlando was defective and so they put us up in a hotel for the night and we didn’t come home until the following day, which ended up being a crazy one. So I didn't care when they called me that day after the trip to say that the part they had received was broken and they wouldn't be coming out to fix the tub after all. 

Next time they came out was October 29th. I think this was the time a guy with brains showed up. I don't remember if he had the right part or not, but he again suggested the whole "cut the wall open" approach, and said he would come back.

Are you sick of this story yet? If so you might understand that even though I had friends out at Disney, I really really really wanted to get this tub nightmare fixed! They scheduled me in for a 1PM to 4PM time slot. I wasn't very happy about such a late time. I had a 6PM dinner reservation that I certainly did not want to miss!

The guy actually arrived about 10 minutes early. According to my text messages, he would take an hour at best, 2 ½ hours at worst. It must have taken him two hours because we weren't getting changed for dinner until 3:30 and we made it out the door just before 4:30. I was entering the park at 5:17 and Fran stopped at WoD to get a throw blanket since she forgot one. We would be seeing F! after dinner and she always gets cold.

Soon we met back up with Allyson and Dorian, they had the girls with them, but our table was ready so quickly that they didn't get to enjoy much of the atmosphere. Besides they were probably itching to go on rides anyways.

We were seated at our table and perused the menu. This was a brand new menu starting tonight for the holiday season.





Once we ordered we were served an Amuse Bouche.  It was Pumpkin hummus with Tzatziki and crispy garbanzo beans, the same thing that we had been served on our visit the month before.





Evidently throughout the evening, Dorian and I ordered similarly and Fran and Allyson were sympatico

For our first courses, Dorian and I ordered the Cedar Grilled Duck Breast, Parsnip Puree, Persimmon Relish, Black Bread Crouton.  It was OK, but I didn’t want to take up too much room with it, so ate about half of it and gave the rest to Fran.





Fran got the Gilled Salmon, Corn Oven Pancake, Créme Fraiche





Allyson got the Sweet Potato Croquettes, Quince, Hazelnut, California Chili    Romesco, you can ask her how it was….





For the second course I got the “Not so Classical” Five Onion Soup, Gruyére Cheese, Oxtail, Thyme from the Second Course menu.  This was very good although obviously not your traditional onion soup. I think everyone ordered this one, cause I don’t have any pictures of the Radicchio Salad





For our third course, I got the  Orecchiette Pasta, Fennel Sausage, Roasted Broccoli, Ricotta Salata.  This was very tasty!





Allyson got the Catch of the Day, Cauliflower Velvet, Salmon Caviar.





Fran got the Pheasant Rarebit, Forest Mushrooms, Merlot Jus





We were served a palate cleanser of Spiced Apple Sorbet with mint 





Then it was time for the Main Course.  I had the Bacon Crusted Filet Mignon, Harvest Onions, Hasselback Potatoes, it was quite tasty!





Fran had the Beef Short Rib, Roasted Root Vegetables, Cranberry, Garnet Yam Velvet





Everything was very yummy and (I think) Fran finished off hers and mine so we didn’t have to take anything home.

For dessert I ordered the Valrhona Chocolate “Cannoli”, Mint Cream Cheese Mousse, Peppermint.  This was absolutely amazing!  That block of chocolate was was like a combination of a mousse and a solid. Thicker than a mousse or pudding, but not solid like chocolate. You might call it a chocolate pate.  That works! The pepperminty part was so yummy!





Fran got the Eggnog Cheesecake, Graham Cracker Crust, Cranberry Compote. She liked this a whole lot!





With everyone pleased with their dessert choices (especially Fran) and stuffed from the meal, we headed outside to watch the first showing of F!  I don’t have any pictures, and I stole this one from Allyson, but it was a great show as always!





It had been a while since dinner when we were on our way out of the park and I couldn’t help but stop for a raspberry swirl Dole Whip.





The Castle is always so beautiful at Holiday Time.


----------



## missjackiemcg

What a saga with the bathtub!!!!!!  Although it is refreshing to work with a company who at least keeps you in the loop about what's going on while you're waiting forever!!

All the courses of your dinner sound so tasty, but I must admit your filet with the onions and potatoes is the one that got my mouth watering most!  And of course a raspberry swirl to end the night doesn't hurt 

Sleeping Beauty's castle looks just beautiful in lights!!  Someday I'll make it to Disneyland to see her in person!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Oh my goodness what a process to get your tub fixed!  Glad it was completed in time!

The meal looked lovely.  Gorgeous castle pic!


----------



## Dis_Yoda

That menu looks awesome.  I'm so missing dinners of that quality lately. 

Glad your tub is finally fixed!


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> What a saga with the bathtub!!!!!! Although it is refreshing to work with a company who at least keeps you in the loop about what's going on while you're waiting forever!!



The guy handling scheduling was great.  Some of the technicians, not so much.



missjackiemcg said:


> All the courses of your dinner sound so tasty, but I must admit your filet with the onions and potatoes is the one that got my mouth watering most! And of course a raspberry swirl to end the night doesn't hurt



Gosh do I miss eating food like that!  I mean, I'm a pretty good cook, but I can't make stuff like that.  And if I could by the time I made it, I'd be too tired to enjoy it!



missjackiemcg said:


> Sleeping Beauty's castle looks just beautiful in lights!! Someday I'll make it to Disneyland to see her in person!



You definitely should.  Christmas is one of the most magical times at Disney!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> With what?  I can't even pay off all the credit cards in full!


I'm going to solve that problem! 
But a house and use the equity to pay off the cards!


 


franandaj said:


> Huh. That's odd. Stuff goes on sale here often. Drumsticks and Thighs are $.99 lb and Rib Eyes are $6.99.


Yep. Those I've seen.


franandaj said:


> I rarely post, but I put up a rather silly one yesterday. Just goes to show I'm really bored with this stay at home thing.


 Okay. Haven't seen that.


franandaj said:


> I do it at 325.....


Got it.


franandaj said:


> Not knowing the other party, I can't comment.





franandaj said:


> I thought you called it off after that Small World fiasco.


Not officially. I am waiting for the next TR (if and when) to do that.
I need to considering what happened to her last November.


franandaj said:


> He moved out today and has a maid coming in the next day or two, so at least I get two weeks head start on renting it out.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I had my long awaited tub repair scheduled.


Finally!


franandaj said:


> Since you can’t take a bath with only 120 degree water, it became unusable.


Sure you can. You fill it with 120 degree water and wait until it cools down a bit.


franandaj said:


> The installer of the tub initially didn’t want to take any responsibility since it had been five years since it was put in. However, at some point they had a change of heart and decided that they would do it as a warranty call.


Well, that's good of them. But I can't help but wonder how much quicker it would've been if you'd had to pay for it.


franandaj said:


> So I didn't care when they called me that day after the trip to say that the part they had received was broken and they wouldn't be coming out to fix the tub after all.





franandaj said:


> I think this was the time a guy with brains showed up.


 


franandaj said:


> Are you sick of this story yet?


No, but I can imagine that you were.


franandaj said:


> Soon we met back up with Allyson and Dorian, they had the girls with them, but our table was ready so quickly that they didn't get to enjoy much of the atmosphere. Besides they were probably itching to go on rides anyways.


I usually prefer my table to be ready immediately. 


franandaj said:


> It was Pumpkin hummus with Tzatziki and crispy garbanzo beans,





franandaj said:


> For our first courses, Dorian and I ordered the Cedar Grilled Duck Breast, Parsnip Puree, Persimmon Relish, Black Bread Crouton.


I'm on the fence on this one. Not a fan of parsnip. The rest sound good.


franandaj said:


> Fran got the Gilled Salmon, Corn Oven Pancake, Créme Fraiche


Prefer that.


franandaj said:


> Allyson got the Sweet Potato Croquettes, Quince, Hazelnut, California Chili Romesco, you can ask her how it was….





franandaj said:


> For the second course I got the “Not so Classical” Five Onion Soup, Gruyére Cheese, Oxtail, Thyme from the Second Course menu.


mmmmmm… that sounds really good!


franandaj said:


> For our third course, I got the Orecchiette Pasta, Fennel Sausage, Roasted Broccoli, Ricotta Salata. This was very tasty!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Allyson got the Catch of the Day, Cauliflower Velvet, Salmon Caviar.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Fran got the Pheasant Rarebit, Forest Mushrooms, Merlot Jus


I could go for any of those. 
But I would order what Fran had.


franandaj said:


> We were served a palate cleanser of Spiced Apple Sorbet with mint


Yum! Yes please!


franandaj said:


> Then it was time for the Main Course. I had the Bacon Crusted Filet Mignon, Harvest Onions, Hasselback Potatoes, it was quite tasty!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Fran had the Beef Short Rib, Roasted Root Vegetables, Cranberry, Garnet Yam Velvet


Think this time, while again I could go for either, I'll pick... depends on my mood, but right now I'd pick yours.


franandaj said:


> For dessert I ordered the Valrhona Chocolate “Cannoli”, Mint Cream Cheese Mousse, Peppermint. This was absolutely amazing!


Holy crap! 


franandaj said:


> Fran got the Eggnog Cheesecake, Graham Cracker Crust, Cranberry Compote. She liked this a whole lot!


Can I have two desserts???? Want both!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> I'm guessing you're saying that sincerely and not they way they mean it in the South. You don't want to hear a Southern Gal say, "Oh, Bless her heart...."



Errr yes LOL I have no idea what you mean!



franandaj said:


> I'm not sure we did that one....we would have gone in a funny entrance if we did, and I don't remember that.



Hmm yes, I don't remember that



franandaj said:


> Those were....interesting if you were riding with someone you didn't know all that well.....



I realize I forgot an important word in my cuddle honour statement- I was meaning the honour system seatbelts they used to have!



franandaj said:


> I wish that Fran would be more interested in drinking it. I hate to open the bottle all alone.



They aren't huge bottles, you can do it 



franandaj said:


> Really?  We have so many places that you can get good fried chicken. Even the grocery stores make a decent one. We'll just get a couple chicken thighs for an afternoon snack when we're out running around.



Dorian has reminded me of a couple of places we have- just not in areas I really go to (well I don't go many places now lol)



franandaj said:


> A cameo? Not sure what that is.....


\

I only just learned about these last month- basically you can pay to have a celebrity make a video for you



franandaj said:


> When they reopen, and I mean when, I will take so many pictures on my next visit.



So so many! Who knows when some of us will be able to get back 



franandaj said:


> Maybe PP, but I don't think we did IASW. I know that I did it in November and I think I would have objected on the grounds that I had done my duty for the year.



Ok Ella says we did PP and also we did Alice- I do remember that now!



franandaj said:


> I love that ice! I need to make more cocktails at home!



Oh I will send you a recipe for one of my current favs- it's a spin on an Old Fashion



franandaj said:


> I would imagine not, but I'm not sure what you did Saturday night.




I realized that's when we did cantina, watched the fireworks from GE etc


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> I had my long awaited tub repair scheduled.



What can I really say but ahhhh what a sega indeed!




franandaj said:


> Besides they were probably itching to go on rides anyways.



Pretty sure they managed Space and Splash like 5 times each lol



franandaj said:


> Pumpkin hummus with Tzatziki and crispy garbanzo beans



This was good, but I'm a pumpkin fan.




franandaj said:


> Fran got the Gilled Salmon, Corn Oven Pancake, Créme Fraiche



So I remember (and looked at my pics) that I got this guy instead of the soup/salad- I remember sharing with D as didn't want to get too full and the pancake was big!



franandaj said:


> Allyson got the Sweet Potato Croquettes, Quince, Hazelnut, California Chili Romesco, you can ask her how it was….



These were yummy- I really like sweet potato and hazelnuts, and the romesco added a lot of flavour.




franandaj said:


> Allyson got the Catch of the Day, Cauliflower Velvet, Salmon Caviar.



This was pretty good- I'm not hugely experienced at caviar, but this was nice. 



franandaj said:


> Fran got the Pheasant Rarebit, Forest Mushrooms, Merlot Jus



I know Dorian loved this one too.




franandaj said:


> Then it was time for the Main Course. I had the Bacon Crusted Filet Mignon



I had this one too- I love filet mig, and I remember the bacon being great and not over the top.




franandaj said:


> For dessert I ordered the Valrhona Chocolate “Cannoli”, Mint Cream Cheese Mousse, Peppermint. This was absolutely amazing! That block of chocolate was was like a combination of a mousse and a solid. Thicker than a mousse or pudding, but not solid like chocolate. You might call it a chocolate pate. That works! The pepperminty part was so yummy!



Legit the best! Mannn I wish I had this beauty right now!



franandaj said:


> I couldn’t help but stop for a raspberry swirl Dole Whip.



Pretty sure we had one too lol well I know we did as  I have a picture with the infamous Maynard and my hair is done up lol
He was just leaving and I said hello to him and we took a pic - I've never tried if I can add a pic but going to try...


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> This was our only Disney excitement for the day.



Oh.  Welp, I'm outta here.



franandaj said:


> But that was just the beginning of our Disney fun for the week.



...and I'm back in!



franandaj said:


> Well they got to the passport office Wednesday morning and it seems that the entire Canadian passport system was down.
> 
> Nationwide.



That sounds like it might be a problem.



franandaj said:


> So our first ride was the Astro Blasters. Allyson suggested this one. I’d never been on it.



Really?  Have you ridden Dumbo?  Or the magic carpets?  Or Triceratop-spin?

I don't know why I'm asking.  Those are completely different rides.



franandaj said:


> We decided that it would be best to wait for the two of them while enjoying lunch, and everyone agreed that The Plaza Inn was the best place to do that. While they are known for their Fried Chicken, which Allyson and I split, they also have a number of entrees suitable for Pescatarians, of which there were some in our group.



That might be true, but...they have fried chicken!



franandaj said:


> Little did we know that the show had started earlier due to a special private party giveaway event hosted by a local radio station. They caught the tail end of the show.



Whoops.  Hope it was a fun 5 minutes.



franandaj said:


> The installer of the tub initially didn’t want to take any responsibility since it had been five years since it was put in. However, at some point they had a change of heart and decided that they would do it as a warranty call.



Hey, that's a win for you.



franandaj said:


> Are you sick of this story yet?



 Not as sick of it as you were, I'm betting.



franandaj said:


> With everyone pleased with their dessert choices (especially Fran) and stuffed from the meal, we headed outside to watch the first showing of F! I don’t have any pictures, and I stole this one from Allyson, but it was a great show as always!



Fantasmic always looks a lot better at DL than the WDW version.



franandaj said:


> The Castle is always so beautiful at Holiday Time.


----------



## rentayenta

Dinner looked delicious! 

Love the castle pic. Miss it something awful!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Oh my goodness what a process to get your tub fixed! Glad it was completed in time!



It was rather nerve wracking not having a tub. In the five years we lived there I had used the tub in the hall bath for storage.  I even cleaned that out so that I could have some kind of jacuzzi tub.



tiggrbaby said:


> The meal looked lovely. Gorgeous castle pic!



Thanks! I miss those kind of meals now.


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> That menu looks awesome. I'm so missing dinners of that quality lately.



I feel your pain.  There is only so much that I can do myself. I must be getting desperate because I am making a Beurre Blanc that I saw on an advance preview of a F&W demo last week. It was for the filet at the Canada Booth, but I'm putting it on Cod.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Glad your tub is finally fixed!



Me too! Not only do I enjoy taking my tubs in it, I prefer to shower in that tub rather than the shower next to it!


----------



## paradesintherain

Hi there! Found this TR and read the whole thing in one sitting! Just loved it, and your touring style is so different to mine so that was fun to see (and dream about trying in the future!). 

I also looove your kitties. You may have mentioned this somewhere, but I missed it, so how many do you have, and what are their names? I have two, Princess Leia, and (Princess) Merida. 

Now to go read the rest of your TRs!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Thinking about the two of you with the weather and all out your way.  Stay safe!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Sure you can. You fill it with 120 degree water and wait until it cools down a bit.



And how do I get into a tub that has walls 4 feet tall without killing myself?    



pkondz said:


> Well, that's good of them. But I can't help but wonder how much quicker it would've been if you'd had to pay for it.



Oh, I offered to pay for it!  Believe me!



pkondz said:


> No, but I can imagine that you were.



Like sick of it back in August.



pkondz said:


> I usually prefer my table to be ready immediately.



Depends on the establishment.  This particular location I like to linger in the lounge before dining.



pkondz said:


> I'm on the fence on this one. Not a fan of parsnip. The rest sound good.



I'm not even sure where the parsnip was....I don't think I really tasted it.



pkondz said:


> mmmmmm… that sounds really good!







pkondz said:


> I could go for any of those.
> But I would order what Fran had.



I really liked mine, as you will see in a future update.



pkondz said:


> Think this time, while again I could go for either, I'll pick... depends on my mood, but right now I'd pick yours.



I would go for either or any of that right now.   



pkondz said:


> Holy crap!
> Can I have two desserts???? Want both!



If you have the room.....anything can be purchased......


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> And how do I get into a tub that has walls 4 feet tall without killing myself?


pfffttt... Give me a hard problem. This one is easy.

Diving board.


franandaj said:


> Depends on the establishment. This particular location I like to linger in the lounge before dining.


Ahhhhh... Okay, I'll agree with you there!


franandaj said:


> I'm not even sure where the parsnip was....I don't think I really tasted it.


Might be okay, then.


franandaj said:


> I really liked mine, as you will see in a future update.


Standing by...


franandaj said:


> If you have the room.....anything can be purchased......


deal!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Errr yes LOL I have no idea what you mean!



Well just think when someone is saying, "Oh Bless her heart" they really mean "Oh go head and b*****r off!"  



DnA2010 said:


> Hmm yes, I don't remember that



Then we probably didn't do it.



DnA2010 said:


> I realize I forgot an important word in my cuddle honour statement- I was meaning the honour system seatbelts they used to have!



Ah yes, those have been LONG gone......



DnA2010 said:


> They aren't huge bottles, you can do it



I know I could, but I would feel bad, just sucking it down. She likes the sweet wines and I would rather share with her. Our anniversary is coming up next weekend. I should pick up a nice dessert and we'll have one of those bottles then.



DnA2010 said:


> Dorian has reminded me of a couple of places we have- just not in areas I really go to (well I don't go many places now lol)



Yeah, me either.  I still get my best fried chicken at the Grocery store..  We'll be having it for dinner next Tuesday night.



DnA2010 said:


> I only just learned about these last month- basically you can pay to have a celebrity make a video for you



Huh,  They also talked about this on the morning news show that I watch.



DnA2010 said:


> So so many! Who knows when some of us will be able to get back



Who knows when ANY of us will get back?



DnA2010 said:


> Ok Ella says we did PP and also we did Alice- I do remember that now!



Yes!  I remember that too!



DnA2010 said:


> Oh I will send you a recipe for one of my current favs- it's a spin on an Old Fashion



waiting....   



DnA2010 said:


> I realized that's when we did cantina, watched the fireworks from GE etc



I'm glad you guys got to do the Cantina!



DnA2010 said:


> What can I really say but ahhhh what a sega indeed!



Tell me about it.



DnA2010 said:


> Pretty sure they managed Space and Splash like 5 times each lol



Good for them!



DnA2010 said:


> This was good, but I'm a pumpkin fan.



I'm not, but it was still good.



DnA2010 said:


> So I remember (and looked at my pics) that I got this guy instead of the soup/salad- I remember sharing with D as didn't want to get too full and the pancake was big!



OK, whoops, I was having a hard time piecing together what we all ate.



DnA2010 said:


> These were yummy- I really like sweet potato and hazelnuts, and the romesco added a lot of flavour.



I'm not a fan of sweet potato or hazelnuts so I wouldn't have liked it at all.



DnA2010 said:


> This was pretty good- I'm not hugely experienced at caviar, but this was nice.



It looks good!



DnA2010 said:


> I know Dorian loved this one too.



I'm glad he did.



DnA2010 said:


> I had this one too- I love filet mig, and I remember the bacon being great and not over the top.



What I would give to have something like this in this time now.



DnA2010 said:


> Legit the best! Mannn I wish I had this beauty right now!



That one was so good!  I love peppermint!



DnA2010 said:


> Pretty sure we had one too lol well I know we did as I have a picture with the infamous Maynard and my hair is done up lol
> He was just leaving and I said hello to him and we took a pic - I've never tried if I can add a pic but going to try...



Who is the infamous Maynard?  I've never heard of him!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh. Welp, I'm outta here.
> 
> ...and I'm back in!



OK, good!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That sounds like it might be a problem.



Yeah, it kinda was.....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Really? Have you ridden Dumbo? Or the magic carpets? Or Triceratop-spin?
> 
> I don't know why I'm asking. Those are completely different rides.



Actually of those, I've only ridden Dumbo, but it was a lot easier to get out of....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That might be true, but...they have fried chicken!



Darn right they do!  The only thing worth ordering here!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Whoops. Hope it was a fun 5 minutes.



They seemed to enjoy it.....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, that's a win for you.



Eventually



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Not as sick of it as you were, I'm betting.



Yeah, pretty much.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Fantasmic always looks a lot better at DL than the WDW version.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Dinner looked delicious!



Thanks!



rentayenta said:


> Love the castle pic. Miss it something awful!



Me Too!


----------



## franandaj

paradesintherain said:


> Hi there! Found this TR and read the whole thing in one sitting! Just loved it, and your touring style is so different to mine so that was fun to see (and dream about trying in the future!).



 

So what makes my touring style so different?  I have a feeling I might know, but just curious.



paradesintherain said:


> I also looove your kitties. You may have mentioned this somewhere, but I missed it, so how many do you have, and what are their names? I have two, Princess Leia, and (Princess) Merida.



We have waaaay too many kitties.  Let's just say we had a lot and then an adopted kitty came with five kittens in her belly, so we had a whole lot more than we had before.



paradesintherain said:


> Now to go read the rest of your TRs!



Wow that's dedication!


----------



## paradesintherain

franandaj said:


> So what makes my touring style so different? I have a feeling I might know, but just curious.



Well, you're a little more laid-back, and spend time enjoying the resorts. I'm always go go go, and then wish I had relaxed more! I need to stop and smell the roses. 



franandaj said:


> We have waaaay too many kitties. Let's just say we had a lot and then an adopted kitty came with five kittens in her belly, so we had a whole lot more than we had before.



I saw some in a previous TR and they're tooooo cute. Living the dream! If I didn't live in an apartment I would definitely want to adopt more. 



franandaj said:


> Wow that's dedication!



Already made it through one!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Thinking about the two of you with the weather and all out your way.  Stay safe!



We are staying safe, mostly inside so as not to breathe in all the smoke. The closest fire is 30 or so miles away, but the smoke and ash have made it down our way.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> Well just think when someone is saying, "Oh Bless her heart" they really mean "Oh go head and b*****r off!"



Ohhh well then, a wee bit out of context    



franandaj said:


> I know I could, but I would feel bad, just sucking it down. She likes the sweet wines and I would rather share with her. Our anniversary is coming up next weekend. I should pick up a nice dessert and we'll have one of those bottles then.



So, what great dessert are you going to get?



franandaj said:


> waiting....



ohh! I was just about to say tonight, but I believe we are missing a key ingredient...hmmm 



franandaj said:


> I'm glad you guys got to do the Cantina!



Me too, it was great really- we had super nice table mates, the drinks were ok, but enjoyed the decor and music...now if we could just ride ROTR, we will have done it all!



franandaj said:


> Who is the infamous Maynard? I've never heard of him!



So Maynard is a DL cast member who has been there a while- like 25 years, and works at Haunted Mansion and Tiki Room (possibly more places, I know he used to be a Skip) and is just hilarious- we have been lucky enough to catch him a couple of times at Tiki Room/HM and he never fails to entertain! Apparently one time Robin Williams and him did an impromptu stand up in the Tiki Room.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> pfffttt... Give me a hard problem. This one is easy.
> 
> Diving board.







pkondz said:


> Ahhhhh... Okay, I'll agree with you there!



 



pkondz said:


> Standing by...



Trying!!!!!!!


----------



## franandaj

paradesintherain said:


> Well, you're a little more laid-back, and spend time enjoying the resorts. I'm always go go go, and then wish I had relaxed more! I need to stop and smell the roses.



Well, we don't have a lot of choice. Fran just can't go, go, go.  She hits the wall a lot sooner than most people, so we're kinda forced into slowing down.



paradesintherain said:


> I saw some in a previous TR and they're tooooo cute. Living the dream! If I didn't live in an apartment I would definitely want to adopt more.



They are very very cute.  I waste more time sitting around in bed cuddling with them or just stopping to pet and cuddle them when I'm on my way to somewhere in the house.



paradesintherain said:


> Already made it through one!



Hopefully there will eventually be more!  I do have another bonus update, if I can catch up on comments.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Ohhh well then, a wee bit out of context



Just a tad!    



DnA2010 said:


> So, what great dessert are you going to get?



I think you saw.  We had picked up the butter cake on Saturday while we were on a small road-trip-jaunt.  I wanted a fancy pastry, but couldn't decide at the French pastry shop.  Then I found those little molten caramel cakes in the freezer, and that sounded better.  I didn't really want a cold dessert anyways.  BTW we drank the Pinot Noir ice wine with dessert and it was very yummy!



DnA2010 said:


> ohh! I was just about to say tonight, but I believe we are missing a key ingredient...hmmm



I need to make cocktails tonight!



DnA2010 said:


> Me too, it was great really- we had super nice table mates, the drinks were ok, but enjoyed the decor and music...now if we could just ride ROTR, we will have done it all!



Always something for next time.  Hopefully Disney opens soon!  



DnA2010 said:


> So Maynard is a DL cast member who has been there a while- like 25 years, and works at Haunted Mansion and Tiki Room (possibly more places, I know he used to be a Skip) and is just hilarious- we have been lucky enough to catch him a couple of times at Tiki Room/HM and he never fails to entertain! Apparently one time Robin Williams and him did an impromptu stand up in the Tiki Room.



Huh.  I've never heard of him.  If he's still there when they reopen, I will keep an eye out for him.


----------



## franandaj

About a week after my last update, Jill came to town.  We had been planning a big fancy dinner, but it just wasn’t a good time for that, so instead we met up in the evenings for a little fun. I don’t remember what was going on with Fran and I during the day. We did have our band Christmas party coming up that Saturday afternoon and I know on Friday we were making our dishes for the potluck, I suppose on Thursday we had to shop for our ingredients. Nonetheless, Jill was staying at the DL Hotel and we picked up Jenny on the way to meet her while she grabbed us a table at Trader Sams.


The Trader Sams at the DL hotel predates the one at the Poly by a few years.  If you’ve been to the one at the Poly and you think it’s small, you’re gonna really be surprised by the one at the DLH. WDW’s counterpart seats nearly double the capacity indoors of the one out West. You really need to be adept at table stalking to get an inside seat. Luckily there is plenty of outdoor seating here, and that’s where Jill got us a table.





The seating area is adjacent to the pool area, and those Tiki Torches can burn bright at night.





The outdoor seating is pretty casual. I’ve never sat outside in Florida, so I don’t know what the seating is like out there, but this can be comfortable on a warm evening, which even in December, wasn’t bad at all.





We perused the menu. 













I don’t think Fran needed to do so at all, she knew what she wanted.  The Sea Monster’s Revenge.









I got the seasonal offering, it had something about peppermint (hence the cute straw) and was pretty tasty.





My shrimp arrived shortly after that, while they are tasty at $4.25 each, it always stings me in the wallet to order this...but it’s Disney I tell myself, and I would love to be able to spring for them right now along with a nice tiki drink!





Fran really likes this burger.  It’s got pineapple on it as well as cheese and comes with sweet potato fries. I’m not sure what’s happening in this picture, but it looks like she is disapperating into the burger.





I’m pretty sure I ordered another drink, probably one of these…





Jenny and Jill are early risers, so we called it a relatively early night and we dropped Jenny off at her house until the next night.


The next day we picked Jenny up again so that she could drink as much as she wanted, and we met Jill in the park before riding Space Mountain. It looks like Jenny sat this one out. 





Before any show you need sustenance so our next stop was our favorite wateringhole in the park. Fran got two orders of these onion rings, cause I don’t think she wanted to share any of one of the orders.







This weekend was supposed to have a completely different itinerary, but other circumstances changed our plans only a couple weeks before. We scrambled to figure out what to do, and when we looked for priority seating for fireworks, the only area left was in front of It’s a Small World which was going to be a new thing for us. I didn’t end up taking any pictures and now I’m sorry I didn’t.  It was a pretty good spot to watch. All the images that were broadcast onto the castle were projected onto the facade of IASW, so we didn’t miss out on that aspect.


After the show, we made our way out of the park with all the Christmas decorations on Main Street.





I’ll leave you with this picture of Jill, Jenny and I.  While it wasn’t taken this year, you wouldn’t know if I didn’t tell you that!  





Ta Ta For Now!


----------



## missjackiemcg

Sounds like some lovely time spent with friends, and what wouldn't we all give for more of that right now!!!?  I've never succeeded in getting to sit inside Trader Sam's at the Poly, but the outside area is nice...definitely doesn't seem as cozy as your pictures make the DL version seem.  If I didn't know I was sitting outside Trader Sam's, it would just seem like any old walk-up tiki bar next to a pool.

The drinks look very tasty, and so photogenic, of course!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> The Trader Sams at the DL hotel predates the one at the Poly by a few years. If you’ve been to the one at the Poly and you think it’s small, you’re gonna really be surprised by the one at the DLH.


Then, in my case, I'm gonna really be surprised by the one at WDW. Never been to that one.


franandaj said:


> The seating area is adjacent to the pool area, and those Tiki Torches can burn bright at night.


Is that a good thing? Or are they too bright?


franandaj said:


> I’ve never sat outside in Florida, so I don’t know what the seating is like out there,


It's filled with aligators.


franandaj said:


> I don’t think Fran needed to do so at all, she knew what she wanted. The Sea Monster’s Revenge.


<sigh>
Rum... always rum...


franandaj said:


> I got the seasonal offering, it had something about peppermint (hence the cute straw) and was pretty tasty.


I'm not sure if I've ever had a peppermint flavoured alcoholic drink. _Maybe _peppermint schnapps? Maybe?


franandaj said:


> My shrimp arrived shortly after that, while they are tasty at $4.25 each, it always stings me in the wallet


That doesn't sound unreasonable? There are 4 shrimp there, right?


franandaj said:


> Fran really likes this burger. It’s got pineapple on it as well as cheese and comes with sweet potato fries.


I'd try that.  (But not the fries. Not a fan of sweet potato. Fried or otherwise.)


franandaj said:


> I’m not sure what’s happening in this picture, but it looks like she is disapperating into the burger.


 Fran really gets into her food!


franandaj said:


> The next day we picked Jenny up again so that she could drink as much as she wanted


Friends help friends... drink.


franandaj said:


> Fran got two orders of these onion rings, cause I don’t think she wanted to share any of one of the orders.


 I totally get that. Mine!


franandaj said:


> All the images that were broadcast onto the castle were projected onto the facade of IASW, so we didn’t miss out on that aspect.


Really! That would've been different... and yet the same, in a way. Huh!


franandaj said:


> I’ll leave you with this picture of Jill, Jenny and I. While it wasn’t taken this year, you wouldn’t know if I didn’t tell you that!


Lovely photo.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Looks like you all had a fab time!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> BTW we drank the Pinot Noir ice wine with dessert and it was very yummy!



I will pick up this years and some others in hope we can bring them some day...



franandaj said:


> I need to make cocktails tonight!



Recipe coming asap- will message it!



franandaj said:


> Always something for next time. Hopefully Disney opens soon!



Here's hoping!




franandaj said:


> Huh. I've never heard of him. If he's still there when they reopen, I will keep an eye out for him.



Ya he has his own facebook fan group lol over 4K members!



franandaj said:


> I know on Friday we were making our dishes for the potluck



Soooo...what did you make?



franandaj said:


>



I was envisioning eating that PuPu platter, but alas we never managed to make it over there



franandaj said:


>



Yum! I'm not a huge rum person, other than in Tiki drinks!



franandaj said:


> it had something about peppermint (hence the cute straw) and was pretty tasty.



So this is intriguing to me..I don't think I've had a peppermint drink like this- was it fruity too, or just minty?



franandaj said:


> Fran really likes this burger. It’s got pineapple on it as well as cheese and comes with sweet potato fries.




Yumm pineapple and sweet potato fries, I'm a fan of them with chipolte mayo 



franandaj said:


> The next day we picked Jenny up again



You guys are awesome about this!



franandaj said:


> in front of It’s a Small World which was going to be a new thing for us. I didn’t end up taking any pictures and now I’m sorry I didn’t. It was a pretty good spot to watch.



Can't say I've every watched from there!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> About a week after my last update, Jill came to town.



Yay Jill!



franandaj said:


> The Trader Sams at the DL hotel predates the one at the Poly by a few years. If you’ve been to the one at the Poly and you think it’s small, you’re gonna really be surprised by the one at the DLH. WDW’s counterpart seats nearly double the capacity indoors of the one out West. You really need to be adept at table stalking to get an inside seat.



I don't think I'd have the patience for that!



franandaj said:


> Fran really likes this burger. It’s got pineapple on it as well as cheese and comes with sweet potato fries. I’m not sure what’s happening in this picture, but it looks like she is disapperating into the burger.



Pineapple on a burger is very underrated.



franandaj said:


> Fran got two orders of these onion rings, cause I don’t think she wanted to share any of one of the orders.



Understandable.  I'd be the same way.



franandaj said:


>



Nice shot of you 3!


----------



## franandaj




----------



## ACDSNY

franandaj said:


>


Merry Christmas


----------



## franandaj

ACDSNY said:


> Merry Christmas



Merry Christmas!!!!!!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Merry Christmas! Hope you are doing well.


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

franandaj said:


>



We see you!!!!  

Hope you and Fran are doing well... I don't know about the rest, but I miss reading about yours and Fran's adventures... But with you being in California, I'm guessing the only trips you've been taking are to backyard... Hope things get better in the California soon!!!!  

Happy New Year and Good Bye 2020!!!


----------



## Steppesister

Hey Alison,

Just popping in to all of the threads I'm subbed in on to say hi. It was nice chatting with you on the phone the other day and catch up a bit. I miss you guys and someday maybe I can swing down for a quick trip before my move. When you feel safe again, let me know!


----------



## franandaj

OK folks, I've been AWOL here.  It seems that I dropped off the grid around end of September, beginning of October.  I'm going to attribute that to the eBay Christmas season. It seems like every day we were devoting most of our time to packing and shipping music, Disney pins, figurines, Christmas ornaments, and all sorts of other stuff we don't need.  Now that it's January, sales seem to be leveling off, which isn't good for our bank account, but maybe might be better for my time online.

Those of you who are FB friends pretty much see what we eat for dinner, and I don't post much else. The reason I post about that is because it's the only interesting thing that goes on in my day.  Here is a typical day:

Come to consciousness around 6:30-7AM.
Watch local news, GMA, local news, MSNBC while on FB, texting friends, and solving online jigsaw puzzles.
After a few hours, I finally decide to get up, get dressed, and feed the cats.

Now I don't dress any different pre/mid covid. I've worn pants with elastic waists for as long as I can remember. I just don't wear any of my cute dresses, or fancy outfits, cause Fran and the cats don't care.
I've always had that morning routine I mentioned above, but now I spend more time in bed since most days I don't have anything on the schedule or anything to look forward to besides dinner.

After feeding the cats and making coffee, I scrounge up something to eat.
Then it's time to gather up the various items that sold overnight. Sometimes a musician goes nuts and buys five or more pieces of music, and wants us to give them a total for shipping before they pay, and I have to get back to them. Occasionally someone buys 50+ pieces of music and in addition to getting back to them with a total, I have to find a box to put it all in!
Once everything is sealed up in envelopes/boxes Fran prints the labels. I give her weights and dimensions and she does the labels on eBay.

(I know this is riveting stuff....)

Once the packages are all addressed and ready to go, I load them into a bag/box and text the mailman to find out where he is.  _Yes, we are on a texting basis with our mailman. _ Fran and I find him in the neighborhood, meet up (masked of course), and give him the packages, and a bottle of cold orange soda. It's not such a big deal in the winter, but in the summertime, all the postal guys really appreciated that cold drink in the middle of the day.

This takes us to anywhere between 1:30 to 4PM depending on how long I've spent solving jigsaw puzzles. Sometimes we stay in the bedroom obsessing on the news and our electronics until noon. If we have larger packages, usually those ship via FedEx so we drop those off at the local location. Most days we go back home, but we may also need gasoline, to pick up cat food (curbside of course), or some other necessity, like groceries, prescriptions, etc. 

This gives us time to listen to our books on Audible. Believe it or not we have blown through over a dozen books. We've even been known to drive 50 miles to pick up a "free" Craigslist item, just to get time in the car to listen to our book.

Once home for the evening, I do the dishes while making dinner, we watch TV, and go to bed.

The next day, lather, rinse, and repeat.

There are a few things that differentiate the days, so they haven't all blended together.  

Yet.

Monday - Chiropractor 9:30AM
Tuesday - Occasional zoom band practice
Wednesday - Gardener comes, cars need to move for street sweeping Thursday
Thursday - move cars back after street sweeping
Friday - ummmm, nothing
Saturday - PO closes at 3PM, so if we're going to get anything out, it has to happen quickly
Sunday - ummmm nothing

I know you've enjoyed reading about how boring my days are.  But even so, I still don't seem to have the time to write posts (I still have some Disneyland stuff from January through March that I could post about).  I'm going to try and get back into this.  I'll start with replies, later.  I've reached that time when dinner needs to get started.

Looking forward to getting back to interacting with my DIS friends!  I've missed you!!!!!!!!


----------



## Maddie2

Hello!  I just found your trip report and wanted to say I am thoroughly enjoying it!  I just started Day 9 and I will read more another time.  SO nice to read something before the world turned.  I read one of your trip reports a while back ... I think you may have been on a road trip?  Seems like a few years ago, but I'm not really sure when it was.  2020 seemed like 3 years, so my sense of time is a little warped.      I really enjoy your writing style and after I'm caught up on this one, I'll have to find some of your others!  Thanks for doing them!

I hope you and Fran are doing well!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> OK folks, I've been AWOL here.


I think I remember you... hmmm.... Ali? Alice? Something like that. 




franandaj said:


> I'm going to attribute that to the eBay Christmas season. It seems like every day we were devoting most of our time to packing and shipping music, Disney pins, figurines, Christmas ornaments, and all sorts of other stuff we don't need.



Yup, that'd do it alright.


franandaj said:


> solving online jigsaw puzzles


What is this??


franandaj said:


> I just don't wear any of my cute dresses, or fancy outfits, cause Fran and the cats don't care.


Are you sure the cats don't care? Cats can be very particular, as you know.


franandaj said:


> (I know this is riveting stuff....)


I'm happy to read anything you post. 


franandaj said:


> Yes, we are on a texting basis with our mailman.



Why am I not even surprised???


franandaj said:


> a bottle of cold orange soda. It's not such a big deal in the winter, but in the summertime, all the postal guys really appreciated that cold drink in the middle of the day.


Very nice of you. Thoughtful. 


franandaj said:


> Sometimes we stay in the bedroom obsessing on the news


Betcha you've been doing a bit more "obsessing" than usual of late.




franandaj said:


> Looking forward to getting back to interacting with my DIS friends! I've missed you!!!!!!!!


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> Sounds like some lovely time spent with friends, and what wouldn't we all give for more of that right now!!!?



You're telling me!



missjackiemcg said:


> I've never succeeded in getting to sit inside Trader Sam's at the Poly, but the outside area is nice...definitely doesn't seem as cozy as your pictures make the DL version seem.



You just have to be patient. We often get in at odd times. If you're willing to wait, you have a better chance in Florida. Most people only want to spend for one drink at those prices. In California people are more likely to linger.



missjackiemcg said:


> If I didn't know I was sitting outside Trader Sam's, it would just seem like any old walk-up tiki bar next to a pool.



This is in Florida? I've actually never seen the outside space there.



missjackiemcg said:


> The drinks look very tasty, and so photogenic, of course!



Gawd, I miss cocktails made by others! We ordered Mexican food the other day and got 32oz of Margaritas, but I still had to salt the rims and pour it in the glasses.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Then, in my case, I'm gonna really be surprised by the one at WDW. Never been to that one.



At this point I would be happy if I thought I could go _anywhere_ safely!



pkondz said:


> Is that a good thing? Or are they too bright?



No I think they're just right. It's bright like daylight where you sit, but the darkness is still there, but it's not so dim that you can hardly see your friends.



pkondz said:


> <sigh>
> Rum... always rum...



They have other beverages. You could probably even order a margarita.



pkondz said:


> I'm not sure if I've ever had a peppermint flavoured alcoholic drink. _Maybe _peppermint schnapps? Maybe?



I'm pretty sure it was flavored with peppermint schnapps.



pkondz said:


> That doesn't sound unreasonable? There are 4 shrimp there, right?



But $20 for 4 shrimp seems kind of steep. However now I would love to have the privilege of paying Disney prices.



pkondz said:


> I'd try that.  (But not the fries. Not a fan of sweet potato. Fried or otherwise.)



I'm not a fan either.



pkondz said:


> Fran really gets into her food!



I fear after thus break from TRs, she won't remember to give me a chance to take pictures of our food! 



pkondz said:


> Friends help friends... drink.



We used to. 



pkondz said:


> I totally get that. Mine!



I miss those onion rings. 



pkondz said:


> Really! That would've been different... and yet the same, in a way. Huh!



It was fun, and a different perspective on the whole show.



pkondz said:


> Lovely photo.



Thanks!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Looks like you all had a fab time!



We did! I miss those times!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> I will pick up this years and some others in hope we can bring them some day...



Some day.....



DnA2010 said:


> Recipe coming asap- will message it!



I dont think you ever sent it. 



DnA2010 said:


> Here's hoping!



We'll just have to keep hoping....Southern Californians don't seem to care about anything other than the here and now.



DnA2010 said:


> Ya he has his own facebook fan group lol over 4K members!



Wow!



DnA2010 said:


> Soooo...what did you make?



We made Clam Chowder and Ooey, Gooey, butter cake. Both recipes can be found on my recipe website.



DnA2010 said:


> I was envisioning eating that PuPu platter, but alas we never managed to make it over there



Hopefully next time, whenever that will be.



DnA2010 said:


> Yum! I'm not a huge rum person, other than in Tiki drinks!



I dont really drink much hard alcohol except when I'm out, which lately has been not at all. We did order Mexican food on Friday and got Margaritas togo.



DnA2010 said:


> So this is intriguing to me..I don't think I've had a peppermint drink like this- was it fruity too, or just minty?



No, just minty.



DnA2010 said:


> Yumm pineapple and sweet potato fries, I'm a fan of them with chipolte mayo



Not a fan of sweet potatoes and definitely not a fan of chipotle either.



DnA2010 said:


> You guys are awesome about this!



Fran is a good designated driver. 



DnA2010 said:


> Can't say I've every watched from there!



It was a first for me too!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> I don't think I'd have the patience for that



From what I know of you, I doubt it.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Pineapple on a burger is very underrated.



I'm not sure if I like it or not.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Understandable. I'd be the same way.



Those onion rings are pretty darn good.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Nice shot of you 3!



Thanks!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Merry Christmas! Hope you are doing well.



Thanks for your wishes! I hope you are doing well also!


----------



## franandaj

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> We see you!!!!



I was wondering if anyone would!



NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Hope you and Fran are doing well... I don't know about the rest, but I miss reading about yours and Fran's adventures...



I miss having adventures!



NancyLuvsMickey said:


> But with you being in California, I'm guessing the only trips you've been taking are to backyard... Hope things get better in the California soon!!!!



Well if you read my "day in the life" update, and you did because I saw that you liked it, you know we do get out, but nowhere exciting. 



NancyLuvsMickey said:


> Happy New Year and Good Bye 2020!!!



I appreciate the sentiment, but after the last week, I realize we have no idea what's on the horizon. I hope it isn't out of the frying pan and into the fire!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Just popping in to all of the threads I'm subbed in on to say hi.







Steppesister said:


> It was nice chatting with you on the phone the other day and catch up a bit. I miss you guys and someday maybe I can swing down for a quick trip before my move. When you feel safe again, let me know!



OK, I've been off the radar a bit. Did I know you were moving? Closer to your parents?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> At this point I would be happy if I thought I could go _anywhere_ safely!


Amen, lady!


franandaj said:


> They have other beverages. You could probably even order a margarita.


Okay. I'll go, then.


franandaj said:


> But $20 for 4 shrimp seems kind of steep


True. That does.


franandaj said:


> However now I would love to have the privilege of paying Disney prices.


<sigh> I know.
Although... after all this, I wonder how aggressive they'll be in recouping their losses?


franandaj said:


> I'm not a fan either.


This is why we are friends. 


franandaj said:


> I fear after thus break from TRs, she won't remember to give me a chance to take pictures of our food!


Oh, no!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> OK, I've been off the radar a bit. Did I know you were moving? Closer to your parents?


Yes, it's time to be nearer to them and spend more time with them as they get older and less able. I hope to be in Kentucky by next Christmas.


----------



## franandaj

Maddie2 said:


> Hello! I just found your trip report and wanted to say I am thoroughly enjoying it! I just started Day 9 and I will read more another time.







Maddie2 said:


> SO nice to read something before the world turned. I read one of your trip reports a while back ... I think you may have been on a road trip?



That was probably our Southwestern Road Trip where we went to Monument Valley, Zion, and Bryce Canyon.



Maddie2 said:


> Seems like a few years ago, but I'm not really sure when it was. 2020 seemed like 3 years, so my sense of time is a little warped.  I really enjoy your writing style and after I'm caught up on this one, I'll have to find some of your others! Thanks for doing them!



I know what you mean.  Thanks, I just try to tell it like it is....



Maddie2 said:


> I hope you and Fran are doing well!



We are doing as well as can be when you're stuck at home!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I think I remember you... hmmm.... Ali? Alice? Something like that.







pkondz said:


> Yup, that'd do it alright.



While I would like a break (workloadwise, I would still like the money)



pkondz said:


> What is this??



Let's see if this works.....This was my first puzzle

https://www.jigidi.com/jigsaw-puzzle/kyp069vy/a-taste-of-adventureland/?id=kyp069vy



But now all my puzzles are of my kitties.

https://www.jigidi.com/jigsaw-puzzle/46m4m5rz/siblings/?id=46m4m5rz



I mostly do other people's kitty puzzles, but when I run out of puzzles to do, I upload my own.  For the last couple weeks, I've had plenty to do and not needed to upload any.



pkondz said:


> Are you sure the cats don't care? Cats can be very particular, as you know.



Believe me, my cats don't give a rats butt.



pkondz said:


> I'm happy to read anything you post.



Awwww. you're sweet, likewise.  In fact I may have a suggestion for you that I'll post on your thread. I may be the only one interested, but I'm very curious......



pkondz said:


> Why am I not even surprised???







pkondz said:


> Very nice of you. Thoughtful.



It was actually Fran's idea.



pkondz said:


> Betcha you've been doing a bit more "obsessing" than usual of late.



Actually the day that "everything went down" Fran and I were dealing with vacancy stuff. We were out and about and were getting all our news about what was going on through my Jill and Jenny text thread. We were only home for about an hour when we watched some of the stuff going down and had to leave again for a doctor appointment. We ended up coming home around 5PM where we got the wrap up of the day.



pkondz said:


> Amen, lady!



Tell me about it, what I would do to have drinks at that place we love!



pkondz said:


> Okay. I'll go, then.



You should!



pkondz said:


> True. That does.



Most places, I can get that many shrimp for half the price.....



pkondz said:


> <sigh> I know.
> Although... after all this, I wonder how aggressive they'll be in recouping their losses?



I think they will have to temper it with the fact that most people haven't had jobs for a while.....



pkondz said:


> This is why we are friends.







pkondz said:


> Oh, no!



I know! Right now I take most of our pics of food before I serve it to her!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> While I would like a break (workloadwise, I would still like the money)


Don't we all.


franandaj said:


> Let's see if this works.....This was my first puzzle


Worked! Fun! 


franandaj said:


> Believe me, my cats don't give a rats butt.


But if they saw a rat's butt... that would be a whole other story.


franandaj said:


> Awwww. you're sweet, likewise.





franandaj said:


> In fact I may have a suggestion for you that I'll post on your thread. I may be the only one interested, but I'm very curious......


Oh? Curious. 


franandaj said:


>


Because you mail so many packages.


franandaj said:


> It was actually Fran's idea.


Oh?
Very nice of Fran. Thoughtful.


franandaj said:


> Actually the day that "everything went down" Fran and I were dealing with vacancy stuff. We were out and about and were getting all our news about what was going on through my Jill and Jenny text thread. We were only home for about an hour when we watched some of the stuff going down and had to leave again for a doctor appointment. We ended up coming home around 5PM where we got the wrap up of the day.


Busy day... so the obsessing came later. 


franandaj said:


> Most places, I can get that many shrimp for half the price.....



When I was about 14-15, my mom took me to a Bonanza or Ponderosa. They had a "Steak and all the shrimp you can eat" promotion (battered, deep fried popcorn shrimp)... I took advantage.


franandaj said:


> I think they will have to temper it with the fact that most people haven't had jobs for a while.....


I think there'll be lots of deals in the short/medium term to get people back, but... soon...


franandaj said:


> I know! Right now I take most of our pics of food before I serve it to her!


"Hang on... just gotta... oops, auto-focus wasn't on, okay... just... hold on, there's a shadow... okay, that's... no... need to rotate it a bit... that carrot is a bit askew... maybe a flash..."
Fran: "Just give me my food!!!!"


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Yes, it's time to be nearer to them and spend more time with them as they get older and less able. I hope to be in Kentucky by next Christmas.



Makes sense. I can understand that. Especially with the incident with your mother at the Poly.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Makes sense. I can understand that. Especially with the incident with your mother at the Poly.


For sure, and they both had Covid. No lasting effects thank Goodness, but it did remind me that time here in finite and it's best to make the best use of it.


----------



## missjackiemcg

franandaj said:


> Gawd, I miss cocktails made by others! We ordered Mexican food the other day and got 32oz of Margaritas, but I still had to salt the rims and pour it in the glasses.


ME, TOO!!!  In Chicago, all of our bars and restaurants are closed for dine-in, and it's just not the same taking it to go!  I miss being able to hang out and people watch, sitting at a bar, where someone serves me!  

I know there are clearly more pressing things to spend my time worrying about, but what a simple pleasure!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Worked! Fun!



That's probably another thing that was keeping me away from the DIS, too many hours solving puzzles.



pkondz said:


> But if they saw a rat's butt... that would be a whole other story.



I have a whole nother story.....since I did an update on what I'm not doing, I thought maybe I might do something on the _few _things I have done.



pkondz said:


> Oh? Curious.



I'll try to get over to your thread....in the meantime (after I post a quick update), I have to get over to the vacant apartment so that I can finish preparing it for the painter....



pkondz said:


> Because you mail so many packages.



For years we just took them to the Post Office......



pkondz said:


> Oh?
> Very nice of Fran. Thoughtful.



She can be that way.



pkondz said:


> Busy day... so the obsessing came later.



The obsessing started in 2016.....



pkondz said:


> When I was about 14-15, my mom took me to a Bonanza or Ponderosa. They had a "Steak and all the shrimp you can eat" promotion (battered, deep fried popcorn shrimp)... I took advantage.



Kinda like Su-Lynn's husband at 'Ohana?



pkondz said:


> I think there'll be lots of deals in the short/medium term to get people back, but... soon...



Well they just cut DME and EMH.  



pkondz said:


> "Hang on... just gotta... oops, auto-focus wasn't on, okay... just... hold on, there's a shadow... okay, that's... no... need to rotate it a bit... that carrot is a bit askew... maybe a flash..."
> Fran: "Just give me my food!!!!"



I can hear her hollering at me right now!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> For sure, and they both had Covid. No lasting effects thank Goodness, but it did remind me that time here in finite and it's best to make the best use of it.



Well I'm glad they didn't have any lasting effects, and good that you'll be there for them.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> ME, TOO!!! In Chicago, all of our bars and restaurants are closed for dine-in, and it's just not the same taking it to go! I miss being able to hang out and people watch, sitting at a bar, where someone serves me!



When debating where to have dinner (back when), I used to say, "Somewhere they bring me the food and put it in front of me!"



missjackiemcg said:


> I know there are clearly more pressing things to spend my time worrying about, but what a simple pleasure!



It's the little things that we really start missing.....I have a feeling I will be much more appreciative for all the fun things, when we can do them again!


----------



## franandaj

I felt really compelled to post this update today as FB reminded me this morning in my memories that this day was one year ago today.  Back when we could have fun!

So our 2020 visits to Disneyland began fairly early on in January, we had a double bonus on our first day out in that not only had we signed up for an event to meet Don Iwerks, Imagineer in his own right, and son of Disney Legend Ub Iwerks, plus we were going to preview the new Rise of the Resistance which was opening a little less than a week later!

We arrived bright and early for our breakfast presentation and sat down to a lovely table filled with pastries, charcuterie, and a yogurt parfait.





We were served some coffee, and I thought, what a perfect little breakfast!





To my surprise that was only the starters.  Next we were served delicious crepes filled with ham, spinach and cheese, all topped by Hollandaise sauce. I heard some people complaining about it, but not Fran and I!





Once we were finished with our meal, Don Iwerks got up to give his presentation which went along with his newly released book.





For those of you who don’t know him, Don Iwerks was born in 1929 and followed his father, Disney Legend Ub Iwerks, to Disney, joining the Company in 1950 as a laboratory technician. 

After being drafted into the Korean War, he immediately went back to work at Disney.  He transferred to the Studio Machine Shop, where he was eventually offered a camera technician position and went to work on his first film for the Studio, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He eventually headed both the Machine Shop and Camera Service Department, as well as the Technical Engineering and Manufacturing Division.

One of his biggest achievements was to assist in developing the 360-degree CircleVision camera that was first used in Circarama, U.S.A.; building the film equipment used at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair; Captain EO; and the projection system for the wildly popular Star Tours attraction. He also had a hand in the technology that could combine painted backgrounds, traditional animation, and live-action foregrounds to create the unforgettable cinematic experience that was the Academy Award®-winning Mary Poppins.  After a 35-year career at Disney, he went to his own projects and company.  His Daughter Leslie Iwerks was there “directing” him, just as she directed the series on Disney Imagineering featured on Disney+.

After his presentation he signed copies of his book that we were given.  Wow! look at me there, bothering to put on jewelry, let my hair down and everything!









Following our lovely breakfast and presentation, we were given boarding groups for RotR.  We were boarding group 12.

******** S * P * O * I * L * E * R    A * L * E * R * T !!!!!!! *************.

​There will be spoilers coming up ahead, so if you haven’t been on the Rise of the Resistance ride yet and don’t want to know about it, wait til my next update which will be food related.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

We got to the ride entrance and there were a ton of people standing around. If you're familiar with Rise of the Resistance you know that the ride goes down. 

A lot. 

And it was down now. But this was the only real plans we had for the day, so we waited. It was probably about 20 minutes before we were let into the queue. They scanned our passes and then our boarding group cards. Eventually when the ride opened to the public this was all done via the Disneyland App on your cellphone.

We entered into the cave where the Resistance Base was located. We were impressed with how they laid out the queue as Fran had no difficulty navigating the switch backs in her scooter. In a lot of lines she'll have to do a seven point turn to get around the corners.

























I was really impressed with the feel and how they really made it seem like you were going deep inside the mountain.





In this chamber, we waited to enter the briefing room.





Once we were in the briefing room, we awaited our mission.









Inside the briefing room, lots of familiar characters/species communicate remotely with you. Rey gives you your orders before you embark on the rest of your mission.





You exit the briefing room and go out into the Rebel base where you wait to board your transport. 

















And soon you take off from the planet, with your pilot at the helm.













What fun would a stint in the Resistance be if you didn't get captured? Soon you are being pulled into a ship under the command of Kylo Ren. Forgive me, I don't know the technical names of all the different ships. Your vessel is boarded by officers of the First Order who are demanding and somewhat intimidating. As you leave the Rebel vessel this is what you see.





Now for all of the "in character" performances of the CMs, they also identify any guests with disabilities and make sure that they go on the correct side of the queue for handicapped access. The right side of this hall is the one with no step.





When you get to this point they start to separate you so that you can be placed into interrogation rooms.









You wait on a colored strip, four for each color, to enter the interrogation room. The guards are constantly on you asking what color you're standing on and other such nonsense. It is meant to be somewhat intimidating, but not so much that you feel really threatened. I thought it was all in fun.





My last picture from the ride is the interrogation room. Kylo Ren comes to talk to your group, but is called away.





After that, if you can guess, you are rescued and the rest of the ride begins.  I’ll leave that to surprise since I decided not to take pictures and risk losing my phone. This is the best part of the ride and the most thrilling. I will tell you some things I know from the threads I followed and what I’ve seen on the several times I rode it. There are lots of different experiences that happen on the ride. Not all are functioning at all times (not intentionally, I don't think). They have what some call the “A” ride experiences, and if the “A” ride experiences are down, the “B” ride experiences kick in.

Let me give an example. There is one point in the ride where Kylo Ren cuts through the ceiling to “get you” with his light saber. However, I have been on the ride when this feature is down, you still pass through the room where his light saber would have been cutting through the roof, it just doesn’t. The roof remains in tact, instead of a light saber sawing through it. If you had never been on the ride, you wouldn’t know that you were missing it, but since I had been on it before, I did know. There are other “back ups” that happen when the “A” feature is down, I’m not exactly sure what they are, but I have some guesses from the four times I have been on the ride.

It’s fun to look for Finn on the ride, he shows up in quite a few places. It’s a really thrilling ride at the end, and if you’ve heard about a “drop” don’t worry, it’s nothing like ToT or GotG, it’s just a little blip. Gosh I can’t wait for DL to open again so I can ride it again.  I have no idea when I’ll get to WDW again. So my hope is when DL opens again.

Once you complete your mission you end up back at the Resistance base. 





After our stint with the resistance, we decided we needed a Millennium Falcon french fry holder.



 

And ate the French Fries that came with it.





After that we headed home.

It was a good day.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> That's probably another thing that was keeping me away from the DIS, too many hours solving puzzles.


I did about 6 of them after you posted that link! 


franandaj said:


> I have a whole nother story.....since I did an update on what I'm not doing, I thought maybe I might do something on the _few _things I have done.


Will read the update a bit later. 


franandaj said:


> For years we just took them to the Post Office......


I remember that too.


franandaj said:


> The obsessing started in 2016.....





franandaj said:


> Kinda like Su-Lynn's husband at 'Ohana?


Just like that. 
But I doubt I could eat now, like I could when I was a teenage boy.


franandaj said:


> Well they just cut DME and EMH.


Saw that... 
DME... sad.
EMH... Not sure how I feel. 30 minutes early entry at all parks might be a good thing. Before you could either take advantage or _avoid _the park with EMH. Now... you can still get in early and not worry about the park being over-saturated due to EMH.


franandaj said:


> I can hear her hollering at me right now!


----------



## missjackiemcg

Wow, your breakfast meet-and-greet sounds pretty incredible.  I'll bet he had some amazing stories.  

I still have yet to experience Rise of the Resistance!  Getting a boarding group has eluded me for three trips now.  Sigh.  I'll have my next shot in December.  Can't believe I still have to wait that long, but everything I've seen and read sounds like it's so worth the wait!


----------



## NancyLuvsMickey

What an amazing and interesting career Don Iwerks has had... I bet he has some really good stories to tell!!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I did about 6 of them after you posted that link!



I end up doing half a dozen before i get out of bed!



pkondz said:


> Will read the update a bit later.







pkondz said:


> I remember that too.



You do?



pkondz said:


> Just like that.
> But I doubt I could eat now, like I could when I was a teenage boy.



I can't eat now like I could when I was a teenage girl on the swim team. I'm constantly discouraged by how little I can eat now.



pkondz said:


> Saw that...
> DME... sad.
> EMH... Not sure how I feel. 30 minutes early entry at all parks might be a good thing. Before you could either take advantage or _avoid _the park with EMH. Now... you can still get in early and not worry about the park being over-saturated due to EMH.



We never used EMH, but the loss of DME is huge. Do you know how hard it is to wrangle four suitcases and four carry ons riding a scooter? Then the question is, "do we rent a car?" Whatever we decide it makes a WDW vacation much more expensive than before.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> we signed up for an event to meet Don Iwerks, Imagineer in his own right, and son of Disney Legend Ub Iwerks,


No way! Cooool!


franandaj said:


> Next we were served delicious crepes filled with ham, spinach and cheese, all topped by Hollandaise sauce.


mmmm.... Hollandaise...


franandaj said:


> I heard some people complaining about it, but not Fran and I!


Complaining???? About _what _for heaven's sake?


franandaj said:


> he was eventually offered a camera technician position and went to work on his first film for the Studio, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.


Oh, man... this is... I have no words...


franandaj said:


> One of his biggest achievements was to assist in developing the 360-degree CircleVision camera


Impressive!


franandaj said:


> He also had a hand in the technology that could combine painted backgrounds, traditional animation, and live-action foregrounds to create the unforgettable cinematic experience that was the Academy Award®-winning Mary Poppins


Really!
Man... to be there in those times. 


franandaj said:


> If you're familiar with Rise of the Resistance you know that the ride goes down.
> 
> A lot.


I _may_ have heard that a time or two... hundred.


franandaj said:


> We were impressed with how they laid out the queue as Fran had no difficulty navigating the switch backs in her scooter.


I'm both surprised and not surprised. Surprised that they'd plan for that, and yet... it _is_ Disney, so _not_ surprised they planned for that.


franandaj said:


> I was really impressed with the feel and how they really made it seem like you were going deep inside the mountain.


Well, sure. It's another planet, you know. 


franandaj said:


> What fun would a stint in the Resistance be if you didn't get captured?


Well... if you were _really_ in the Resistance... I'm betting... probably not so much fun.


franandaj said:


> You wait on a colored strip, four for each color, to enter the interrogation room. The guards are constantly on you asking what color you're standing on and other such nonsense. It is meant to be somewhat intimidating, but not so much that you feel really threatened. I thought it was all in fun.





franandaj said:


> There are lots of different experiences that happen on the ride.


Really? I had no idea. I thought it was either working... or not.


franandaj said:


> Let me give an example. There is one point in the ride where Kylo Ren cuts through the ceiling to “get you” with his light saber. However, I have been on the ride when this feature is down, you still pass through the room where his light saber would have been cutting through the roof, it just doesn’t. The roof remains in tact, instead of a light saber sawing through it. If you had never been on the ride, you wouldn’t know that you were missing it, but since I had been on it before, I did know.


Ah! Okay. Get it now.


franandaj said:


> After our stint with the resistance, we decided we needed a Millennium Falcon french fry holder.


Where do the fries go???


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I end up doing half a dozen before i get out of bed!


I was working on one today in the few minutes I had to spare before work. 


franandaj said:


>


There, you see? I did read it! 


franandaj said:


> You do?


Oh, yes. You've mentioned a few times how you'd make trips to the post office.


franandaj said:


> I can't eat now like I could when I was a teenage girl on the swim team. I'm constantly discouraged by how little I can eat now.


Time to hire someone to be a spare stomach.


franandaj said:


> We never used EMH, but the loss of DME is huge


Yes.


franandaj said:


> Do you know how hard it is to wrangle four suitcases and four carry ons riding a scooter? Then the question is, "do we rent a car?" Whatever we decide it makes a WDW vacation much more expensive than before.


I get that. I'm hoping that Mears will step up and offer a "Magical ride" to Disney or something. 
Or... something.

I agree it's a big loss.


----------



## tiggrbaby

What a lovely breakfast with the bonus of meeting such a fascinating man!

The ride sounds amazing, but with all of the changes at WDW, I'm not sure I'll ever get to experience it.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> I dont think you ever sent it.



Well ****e...coming asap! 



franandaj said:


> Hopefully next time, whenever that will be.


Ya...whenever that will be...we will be back as soon as we can...whenever that will be...apparently Canada is to be all vaccinated by Sept, but who knows...



franandaj said:


> I know! Right now I take most of our pics of food before I serve it to her!



Love it as it's been giving me dinner ideas...tired of all the regs



franandaj said:


>


I'm not a huge "cold meat for breakfast" person, but this all looks quite nice.



franandaj said:


> Next we were served delicious crepes filled with ham, spinach and cheese, all topped by Hollandaise sauce. I heard some people complaining about it, but not Fran and I!



I'm a weirdo who only likes a little Hollandaise sauce as I don't like it to make things too mushy, but can't imagine I'd complain over those!



franandaj said:


> After his presentation he signed copies of his book that we were given. Wow! look at me there, bothering to put on jewelry, let my hair down and everything!



Very cool! I bet it's a good read?


Thanks for getting back to updates, they are a cheer-up


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I heard some people complaining about it, but not Fran and I!



How could anyone complain about _that_?!! WOW! 


franandaj said:


> You wait on a colored strip, four for each color, to enter the interrogation room. The guards are constantly on you asking what color you're standing on and other such nonsense. It is meant to be somewhat intimidating, but not so much that you feel really threatened. I thought it was all in fun.


I loved that part of the "ride"/experience the most I think. I LOVE the role playing they do! Disney cast them so perfectly.


----------



## franandaj

missjackiemcg said:


> Wow, your breakfast meet-and-greet sounds pretty incredible. I'll bet he had some amazing stories.



It was kind of funny, he would get really into one of his topics and start talking more in depth and go off on tangents, and from the back of the room, his daughter would be giving him signals to hurry up, or get onto the next topic. At one point he acknowledged her and said thatbshe was "keeping him on schedule."



missjackiemcg said:


> I still have yet to experience Rise of the Resistance! Getting a boarding group has eluded me for three trips now. Sigh. I'll have my next shot in December. Can't believe I still have to wait that long, but everything I



Back when DL was open and I still had an AP,  you could actually "play along" and practice getting a boarding group. Of course since I hadn't scanned into the park, I couldn't get past a certain point, and I'd get an error message like, "please make sure everyone in your party is in the park." But you could at least familiarize yourself with the process so when it came down to it, I had an idea of what was going on.


----------



## franandaj

NancyLuvsMickey said:


> What an amazing and interesting career Don Iwerks has had... I bet he has some really good stories to tell!!!



He had some great stories, and kept wanting to tell them in detail.  His daughter had to keep putting him back on track.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> mmmm.... Hollandaise...



Fran ordered eggs benedict for breakfast this morning....extra Hollandaise.  And then we sat in the parking lot in our car and ate breakfast.  



pkondz said:


> Complaining???? About _what _for heaven's sake?



   No clue!  I thought it was one of the best breakfasts we have had at one of these morning events.



pkondz said:


> Oh, man... this is... I have no words...



I remember you saying you were a fan of 20,000 leagues.



pkondz said:


> Really!
> Man... to be there in those times.



Must have been amazing!



pkondz said:


> I _may_ have heard that a time or two... hundred.







pkondz said:


> I'm both surprised and not surprised. Surprised that they'd plan for that, and yet... it _is_ Disney, so _not_ surprised they planned for that.



It's good that they are planning for this because a lot of times, she has a hard time going through the queues and our scooters are small.



pkondz said:


> Well, sure. It's another planet, you know.







pkondz said:


> Well... if you were _really_ in the Resistance... I'm betting... probably not so much fun.



You're probably right.



pkondz said:


> Really? I had no idea. I thought it was either working... or not.
> Ah! Okay. Get it now.



The things that you learn on these DIS forums.



pkondz said:


> Where do the fries go???



There was a little flap that you could open up, but I didn't push it, I was afraid of breaking it.  I saw a kid who got one and his mother poured the fries into the little compartment.  Instantly losing it's value.



pkondz said:


> I was working on one today in the few minutes I had to spare before work.



What category do you solve?  I like the kitty puzzles.



pkondz said:


> There, you see? I did read it!







pkondz said:


> Oh, yes. You've mentioned a few times how you'd make trips to the post office.



Makes sense.



pkondz said:


> Time to hire someone to be a spare stomach.



Or learn bulimia....



pkondz said:


> I get that. I'm hoping that Mears will step up and offer a "Magical ride" to Disney or something.
> Or... something.
> 
> I agree it's a big loss.



I hope that they do something, but the fact that they picked up your luggage was awesome.  I know you didn't have that option, but we loved it!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Fran ordered eggs benedict for breakfast this morning....extra Hollandaise. And then we sat in the parking lot in our car and ate breakfast.


Eggs benedict are good anywhere.. anytime.


franandaj said:


> I remember you saying you were a fan of 20,000 leagues.


 Very!


franandaj said:


> The things that you learn on these DIS forums.


And all of it 100% reliable!

Actually, kidding aside, I've found that _most_ of the info on these boards is pretty good. 


franandaj said:


> There was a little flap that you could open up, but I didn't push it, I was afraid of breaking it. I saw a kid who got one and his mother poured the fries into the little compartment. Instantly losing it's value.


Ew... grease.
Wait... I'm betting it needed grease from time to time stay space-worthy.


franandaj said:


> What category do you solve? I like the kitty puzzles.


It varies. I like the winter scenes sometimes. Other times I'm just looking for high-contrast. Which is why I've been doing all the comic book ones lately. 
Mostly I do the Medium ones (I think that's 80-120 pieces), because I can do them in about 10-12 minutes. But I've also done 200 or even 400 piece ones.


franandaj said:


> Or learn bulimia....


 Do _not_ do that!!!


franandaj said:


> I hope that they do something, but the fact that they picked up your luggage was awesome. I know you didn't have that option, but we loved it!


I _did _have that option! Well, on the flights in that arrived before 10pm anyways.


----------



## Positively Bashful

Hello, I was eavesdropping on your conversation with pkondz.  The Jigidi puzzle site sounded interesting so I went over to check it out.  I'm not sure if I should thank you or not, but I'm becoming addicted to it.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> What a lovely breakfast with the bonus of meeting such a fascinating man!



I miss things like that.    



tiggrbaby said:


> The ride sounds amazing, but with all of the changes at WDW, I'm not sure I'll ever get to experience it.



I'm sure eventually it will die down, but I'm sure it will take a long long time.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Well ****e...coming asap!



I'm not sure that we will make it, we don't have a lot of those spirits in house.



DnA2010 said:


> Ya...whenever that will be...we will be back as soon as we can...whenever that will be...apparently Canada is to be all vaccinated by Sept, but who knows...



And LA will be done in 2022 unless it picks up.  



DnA2010 said:


> Love it as it's been giving me dinner ideas...tired of all the regs



I've tried so many new recipes this year.....



DnA2010 said:


> I'm not a huge "cold meat for breakfast" person, but this all looks quite nice.



I like a little bit, like salami on my bagel is a favorite!



DnA2010 said:


> I'm a weirdo who only likes a little Hollandaise sauce as I don't like it to make things too mushy, but can't imagine I'd complain over those!



I don't like too much, but this was just right.



DnA2010 said:


> Very cool! I bet it's a good read?



I never got a chance. It got put somewhere and I don't know where.  



DnA2010 said:


> Thanks for getting back to updates, they are a cheer-up



You're welcome, I'll try to be better about them, but things are just so darned busy!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Well ****e...coming asap!



I'm not sure that we will make it, we don't have a lot of those spirits in house.



DnA2010 said:


> Ya...whenever that will be...we will be back as soon as we can...whenever that will be...apparently Canada is to be all vaccinated by Sept, but who knows...



And LA will be done in 2022 unless it picks up.  



DnA2010 said:


> Love it as it's been giving me dinner ideas...tired of all the regs



I've tried so many new recipes this year.....



DnA2010 said:


> I'm not a huge "cold meat for breakfast" person, but this all looks quite nice.



I like a little bit, like salami on my bagel is a favorite!



DnA2010 said:


> I'm a weirdo who only likes a little Hollandaise sauce as I don't like it to make things too mushy, but can't imagine I'd complain over those!



I don't like too much, but this was just right.



DnA2010 said:


> Very cool! I bet it's a good read?



I never got a chance. It got put somewhere and I don't know where.  



DnA2010 said:


> Thanks for getting back to updates, they are a cheer-up



You're welcome, I'll try to be better about them, but things are just so darned busy!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> How could anyone complain about _that_?!! WOW!



I know!  Right?  It was delicious!



Steppesister said:


> I loved that part of the "ride"/experience the most I think. I LOVE the role playing they do! Disney cast them so perfectly.



It was definitely fun, but I like the ride part.  A lot.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I know!  Right?  It was delicious!
> 
> 
> 
> It was definitely fun, but I like the ride part.  A lot.


I rode it last week for the 3rd time and it just keeps getting better and better. The first couple of times I rode, I just didn't get it- the storyline was so lost on me because I was so wrapped up in seeing the stuff. There's just so much in there. The next couple of times I figured out the flow of things and then was able to tie the details to a bigger picture.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Eggs benedict are good anywhere.. anytime.



Perhaps I should make some...I cooked a ham last night and made Croque Monsieurs this morning. I have all the fixins to make us two more tomorrow. I posted pics on FB.



pkondz said:


> And all of it 100% reliable!
> 
> Actually, kidding aside, I've found that _most_ of the info on these boards is pretty good.



And I'm going to have to relearn "doing Disney" when I finally decide to go back. We are seriously thinking of scrapping our Sept/Oct trip this year.



pkondz said:


> Ew... grease.
> Wait... I'm betting it needed grease from time to time stay space-worthy



That ole bucket o bolts?



pkondz said:


> It varies. I like the winter scenes sometimes.



I got hooked in the summer and no one was really posting winter scenes, but I liked the pictures from Europe and the deserts.



pkondz said:


> Other times I'm just looking for high-contrast. Which is why I've been doing all the comic book ones lately.



I didn't even realize there were comic book ones!



pkondz said:


> Mostly I do the Medium ones (I think that's 80-120 pieces), because I can do them in about 10-12 minutes.



The 80-108 ones take me anywhere from 15-30ish minutes. I kinda suck at these. 



pkondz said:


> But I've also done 200 or even 400 piece ones.



I did a 200+ piece puzzle and it took me nearly three hours. That's why I draw the line at 108 for now.



pkondz said:


> I _did _have that option! Well, on the flights in that arrived before 10pm anyways.



I'm going to miss that.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Perhaps I should make some...I cooked a ham last night and made Croque Monsieurs this morning. I have all the fixins to make us two more tomorrow. I posted pics on FB.


I do look on FB, but usually only at the first very few things I see. I occasionally see your food porn shots. 


franandaj said:


> And I'm going to have to relearn "doing Disney" when I finally decide to go back. We are seriously thinking of scrapping our Sept/Oct trip this year.


Wouldn't blame you if you did cancel. I hope things will be better by then, but... _all_ better? Who knows.


franandaj said:


> That ole bucket o bolts?





franandaj said:


> I didn't even realize there were comic book ones!



I've been doing Archie (et al) ones almost exclusively.


franandaj said:


> The 80-108 ones take me anywhere from 15-30ish minutes. I kinda suck at these.







franandaj said:


> I did a 200+ piece puzzle and it took me nearly three hours. That's why I draw the line at 108 for now.


Whoa. That's a time commitment all right.


----------



## franandaj

Positively Bashful said:


> Hello, I was eavesdropping on your conversation with pkondz.  The Jigidi puzzle site sounded interesting so I went over to check it out.  I'm not sure if I should thank you or not, but I'm becoming addicted to it.



You're not really eavesdropping, this is a public forum!  

I felt the same way towards the person who introduced me to it as well.  I am completely addicted to it!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> I rode it last week for the 3rd time and it just keeps getting better and better. The first couple of times I rode, I just didn't get it- the storyline was so lost on me because I was so wrapped up in seeing the stuff. There's just so much in there. The next couple of times I figured out the flow of things and then was able to tie the details to a bigger picture.



I seem to remember you saying that you weren't a huge Star Wars fan either, so not being immersed in the "lore" may have a reason as well.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I do look on FB, but usually only at the first very few things I see. I occasionally see your food porn shots.



You should scroll until you find my food porn!  That's about all that I post nowadays!  



pkondz said:


> Wouldn't blame you if you did cancel. I hope things will be better by then, but... _all_ better? Who knows.



I'm pretty sure that it's not going to happen. With Fran's immune system, and the weather October 1st in Florida, having to wear a mask, in a crowded park.  (You know it will be crowded since it's the 50th Anniversary.)  It sounds less and less appealing....



pkondz said:


> I've been doing Archie (et al) ones almost exclusively.



Not that there is a ton of contrast on them, but I wonder if there are any Far Side ones?

ETA:  I went over there and found the comic book puzzles. I found your name in the leaderboard of one of the Archie puzzles!  You're definitely a better puzzle solver than me!


----------



## franandaj

So I know I’m not very consistent on here anymore, but I guess with us not going anywhere, Fran has more time to get stuff up on eBay. Therefore with more listings, we eventually generate more sales. That’s a good thing, but it also keeps me really busy. Plus with her sitting at her computer (next to mine) so much, I don’t get to sneak in much time on the DIS.  I mentioned last month that I would have a post about “what I did last year” which really isn’t much, but there are some amusing and weird stories, so I hope to back with that before my next Disneyland update. 

So back to our regularly scheduled programming. 

Back in January we had no idea that there was a virus in China, at least Fran and I didn’t. We were blissfully enjoying our lives, and one of the things we would do was attend Winemaker dinners. This one was at Steakhouse 55, and it was a great one! We were seated at our own table and presented with this menu.





They also gave us this price list, however, it was missing two other options which we ended up purchasing.





The Amuse Bouche was a “Green Vegetable Meatball” with Osetra Caviar, Citrus Mango Gremolata, Olive Leaf Extraction.  I don't remember much about this one, so it probably wasn't that momentous.





Now the wine that was served with this and the first course, is different than the one that was offered for purchase, but I know that we purchased a bottle of white wine, and I thought we tasted it because we both agreed it would be perfect to drink at the Hollywood Bowl that summer.  Best plans….

OK, since I wrote that above, I checked my refrigerator and yes, we did buy a bottle of that one.

Our next course was a Maine Lobster and Beetroot salad. It was served with an Artichoke Fritter, Blood Orange Vinaigrette, “Burnt” White Asparagus, Lemon Verbena along with the white wine we were drinking with the Amuse Bouche.





I know this one was good because all of those things are yummy and it was a nice chunk of Lobster!

Our next course was served with this Pinot Noir from Riva Ranch.It was nice, but not stellar.





The Pinot Noir went with this Crispy Kurobuta Porchetta, Smoked Pork Jowl, Tonkatsu style polenta, Pickled Plum Croquette, Oyster Leaf





Those Tonkatsu polenta things were really yummy! And I’m sure that I enjoyed the pork as well, everything we had this night was fantastic

This red wine blend would be paired up with our rib eye….it was nice and hearty, but when you have 20 year old aged robust cabernets in your cellar that you are used to, it’s hard to be impressed with younger wines like this.





Here is Dry Aged Eye of Ribeye, Bone Marrow Whipped Potato, Golden Raisin Agrodolce, Blue Foot Mushroom, Brown Butter Ketchup. 





It’s not quite the same as the hunk of meat many of you might have seen me post on FB, but what it lacks in size it definitely makes up in flavor!

Next was the cheese course, Savile Row Stilton Blue, Dried Cherry-Peppercorn Chutney, Poached Walnut Tapenade, Drizzle Honeycomb, this was served with a Cabernet Sauvignon, but I seemed to stop taking pictures of the bottles after the main course.





Love honeycomb with blue cheese!  This is one guilty pleasure that we still enjoy during the stay at home stuff because I know where to buy both!

Our dessert, White Chocolate-Satsuma Gateau, Dark Chocolate Streusel, Satsuma Orange Sherbert, Muscat Reduction, Vanilla Cardamom Tullie, was served with the Wente Vineyards, Orange Muscat, Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay, 2018.  I *KNOW *that we bought a couple bottles of that one!





That concluded our lovely dinner!  That was one of the last dinners like that we have had. I know we went to WDW in February of last year, but Fran specifically asked that we not do too much fine dining, so I think the only signature dinner we did was with Scott and Vinny at Yachtsman. And we did a signature Brunch at Le Cellier.  I think all the rest of our meals were either at QS locations or casual places like Beaches and Cream and 1900 Park Fare.  Boy do I miss these lovely sorts of meals with many courses, and wine pairings.  It's just not the same when you cook it yourself at home.

We picked up our wines and headed out of the restaurant. 

Now those of you who have been around for a while might remember me talking about Fran’s “Art pusher”. he was like a Drug pusher who keeps his addicts supplied, this guy was selling Fran artwork like crazy in much the same manner. He eventually got another job, and it was with Disney, so he had to sign a contract that he wouldn’t deal in artwork with his clients any more, so we’re off the hook now.  But evidently the artist who supplied us with most of our original paintings is local (Seal Beach) and lots of his customers were in attendance at the dinner, so he came down to say, “hi”. We had never met him before, but he knew what we looked like and was thrilled to finally meet us after all those pictures he supplied us with!  We took a picture to commemorate the event. His name is James C. Mulligan in case you're interested in Googling his work.





Interestingly enough, after years of not meeting him, we ended up seeing him again at another unrelated Disney event two months later, the very day before the lockdown was announced.


I’ll be back with more later.


----------



## tiggrbaby

What a fancy evening!
I agree with you about not being ready to go back to the parks.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I seem to remember you saying that you weren't a huge Star Wars fan either, so not being immersed in the "lore" may have a reason as well.



Not really, no. Just not my cup of tea. I'll watch them and when I do I enjoy it, but definitely not my go-to when queueing up something to watch. But as with all the "lands" and rides in Disney, I can enjoy them for the detailing and artistry without being enamored with the source material. 



franandaj said:


> So I know I’m not very consistent on here anymore, but I guess with us not going anywhere, Fran has more time to get stuff up on eBay. Therefore with more listings, we eventually generate more sales. That’s a good thing, but it also keeps me really busy.



Makes sense, but we sure do miss you, Alison.  It's nice to be able to catch up on the phone now and then. 



franandaj said:


> That concluded our lovely dinner! That was one of the last dinners like that we have had.


I could cry. I really miss fine dining and got a small taste at my trip a couple of weeks ago, but that's the first I've gotten to have/do in over a year. 


franandaj said:


> Boy do I miss these lovely sorts of meals with many courses, and wine pairings. It's just not the same when you cook it yourself at home.



OH Gosh! Me TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   


franandaj said:


> lots of his customers were in attendance at the dinner, so he came down to say, “hi”. We had never met him before, but he knew what we looked like and was thrilled to finally meet us after all those pictures he supplied us with! We took a picture to commemorate the event. His name is James C. Mulligan in case you're interested in Googling his work.


OH how fun!! What a happy coincidence! Bummer about not getting an inside pipeline though. I'm sure Fran is disappointed. You? Not so much! LOL!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> You should scroll until you find my food porn! That's about all that I post nowadays!



I'd be hungry all the time!!


franandaj said:


> I'm pretty sure that it's not going to happen. With Fran's immune system, and the weather October 1st in Florida, having to wear a mask, in a crowded park. (You know it will be crowded since it's the 50th Anniversary.) It sounds less and less appealing....


I'm not expecting to go to Disney this year. _Maybe_... if we're all really lucky, by the end of the year, but... I have my doubts.


franandaj said:


> Not that there is a ton of contrast on them, but I wonder if there are any Far Side ones?


Oh! That'd be fun... but I've not seen any of those.


franandaj said:


> ETA: I went over there and found the comic book puzzles. I found your name in the leaderboard of one of the Archie puzzles! You're definitely a better puzzle solver than me!


 But nowhere near as good as some. I don't know how they can move the pieces that fast!


franandaj said:


> I guess with us not going anywhere, Fran has more time to get stuff up on eBay. Therefore with more listings, we eventually generate more sales. That’s a good thing, but it also keeps me really busy.


Busy is maybe good in these times?


franandaj said:


> Plus with her sitting at her computer (next to mine) so much, I don’t get to sneak in much time on the DIS.


"Fran! Look over there!!!"
<quickly posts on the DIS>


franandaj said:


> Back in January we had no idea that there was a virus in China, at least Fran and I didn’t.


I was aware of it in January, I think. But I don't think I was expecting _this_.


franandaj said:


> This one was at Steakhouse 55


Someplace I'd love to go. You've mentioned it several times. 


franandaj said:


> We were seated at our own table and presented with this menu.


Everything sounds so good! (except the walnuts. Not a fan.)


franandaj said:


>


So pretty.


franandaj said:


> we both agreed it would be perfect to drink at the Hollywood Bowl that summer. Best plans….


Yeah.... 


franandaj said:


> I know this one was good because all of those things are yummy and it was a nice chunk of Lobster!


You had me at "nice chunk of lobster."


franandaj said:


> The Pinot Noir went with this Crispy Kurobuta Porchetta,


You know... I'm not sure if I've ever had Porchetta. 
I _know_ I've had none of the rest that was on that plate!


franandaj said:


> everything we had this night was fantastic


Sure looked it!


franandaj said:


> when you have 20 year old aged robust cabernets in your cellar that you are used to, it’s hard to be impressed with younger wines like this.


It would be lost on me.


franandaj said:


> Here is Dry Aged Eye of Ribeye, Bone Marrow Whipped Potato, Golden Raisin Agrodolce, Blue Foot Mushroom, Brown Butter Ketchup.


I need Mark's Drooling Homer... 

Hang on... gonna find one.




franandaj said:


> Love honeycomb with blue cheese! This is one guilty pleasure that we still enjoy during the stay at home stuff because I know where to buy both!


I know where to find... neither! 
Blue cheese is not high on my list, though, so I haven't really looked.


franandaj said:


> Our dessert, White Chocolate-Satsuma Gateau, Dark Chocolate Streusel, Satsuma Orange Sherbert, Muscat Reduction, Vanilla Cardamom Tullie


oooohhh... 


franandaj said:


> Now those of you who have been around for a while might remember me talking about Fran’s “Art pusher”.


Yes! 


franandaj said:


> He eventually got another job, and it was with Disney, so he had to sign a contract that he wouldn’t deal in artwork with his clients any more, so we’re off the hook now.


Or... are you disappointed?


franandaj said:


> But evidently the artist who supplied us with most of our original paintings is local (Seal Beach) and lots of his customers were in attendance at the dinner, so he came down to say, “hi”. We had never met him before, but he knew what we looked like and was thrilled to finally meet us after all those pictures he supplied us with!


Nice you finally got to meet!


franandaj said:


> His name is James C. Mulligan in case you're interested in Googling his work.


I did!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> I'm not sure that we will make it, we don't have a lot of those spirits in house



I had to get a few things for this, as I mainly just drink gin at home as far as spirits go



franandaj said:


> Our next course was a Maine Lobster and Beetroot salad. It was served with an Artichoke Fritter, Blood Orange Vinaigrette, “Burnt” White Asparagus, Lemon Verbena along with the white wine we were drinking with the Amuse Bouche.



That Looks SO DELISH!



franandaj said:


> he Pinot Noir went with this Crispy Kurobuta Porchetta, Smoked Pork Jowl, Tonkatsu style polenta, Pickled Plum Croquette, Oyster Leaf



This one does too! Pickled plum croquette sounds interesting 



franandaj said:


> 20 year old aged robust cabernets in your cellar that you are used to



Drooling...I need a big ol' glass of red 



franandaj said:


> Next was the cheese course, Savile Row Stilton Blue, Dried Cherry-Peppercorn Chutney, Poached Walnut Tapenade, Drizzle Honeycomb, this was served with a Cabernet Sauvignon, but I seemed to stop taking pictures of the bottles after the main course.





franandaj said:


>



As mentioned, I'm going to give this a try sometime..well the blue and honeycomb...who knows about adding other stuff



franandaj said:


> Our dessert, White Chocolate-Satsuma Gateau, Dark Chocolate Streusel, Satsuma Orange Sherbert, Muscat Reduction, Vanilla Cardamom Tullie



Awww man, I really want a fun dessert like this now too...love dark chocolate and orange together 



franandaj said:


> might remember me talking about Fran’s “Art pusher”



I do remember stories about her pusher     



franandaj said:


> with Disney, so he had to sign a contract that he wouldn’t deal in artwork with his clients any more, so we’re off the hook now.



At least he has good taste, working for Disney



franandaj said:


> James C. Mulligan in case you're interested in Googling his work.



Will indeed....



franandaj said:


> we ended up seeing him again at another unrelated Disney event two months later, the very day before the lockdown was announced.



What are the chances hey!


----------



## franandaj

DVC Doctor said:


> Someone should close this thread, it is getting too long and boring. Sorry, I can't read 27+ pages of posts. Just start a new thread with a new title and let this die.



I don't know what your problem is, but no one is forcing you to read this Trip Report. If it's not your cup of tea, just move along. 

There are many trip reports out there that are several hundred pages long. With the update of the DISboards several years ago, threads over 250 pages long don't upset the system any longer.

There are still people reading, commenting, and following along, so why can't you just let us enjoy the interaction and you can ignore this? The rest of the folks here are having fun.


----------



## Steppesister

Troll Alison, ignore and we'll be here having fun being friends online and reading about your yummy meals and Disney interactions.


----------



## DVC Doctor

franandaj said:


> I don't know what your problem is, but no one is forcing you to read this Trip Report. If it's not your cup of tea, just move along.
> 
> There are many trip reports out there that are several hundred pages long. With the update of the DISboards several years ago, threads over 250 pages long don't upset the system any longer.
> 
> There are still people reading, commenting, and following along, so why can't you just let us enjoy the interaction and you can ignore this? The rest of the folks here are having fun.



I posted that as a joke, here my large "cup of tea"


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> What a fancy evening!



I miss those fancy evenings so much!



tiggrbaby said:


> I agree with you about not being ready to go back to the parks.



If Disneyland could meet the standards of reopening set by the Governor of California, I would feel comfortable going there wearing a mask, because it would mean that the virus is very low. Also our weather is much nicer out here than humid Florida.

The main reason I'm going to be renting out the points is that I'm not comfortable with flying, and the idea of being at crowded parks in a mask at the end of September, beginning of October does not sound appealing to me.  We'll see if someone can rent my points.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Not really, no. Just not my cup of tea. I'll watch them and when I do I enjoy it, but definitely not my go-to when queueing up something to watch. But as with all the "lands" and rides in Disney, I can enjoy them for the detailing and artistry without being enamored with the source material.



I get that.  I've always been a fan, not a super fan who knows everything, but I've always wanted to see the new movies as they came out and "study" by rewatching the old ones.



Steppesister said:


> Makes sense, but we sure do miss you, Alison.  It's nice to be able to catch up on the phone now and then.



I've started reading your TR.  At least I pulled up the first page on my computer, but every time I try to read it, something takes me away from it.  Fran is napping right now, so maybe after I finish replying to comments I will head over and at least try to get through one or two updates.



Steppesister said:


> I could cry. I really miss fine dining and got a small taste at my trip a couple of weeks ago, but that's the first I've gotten to have/do in over a year.



The closest I've come is when I cook something fancy myself.  



Steppesister said:


> OH Gosh! Me TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Maybe if we are both vaccinated by my birthday, I can convince her to take me somewhere that we can eat outside and have a nice meal.



Steppesister said:


> OH how fun!! What a happy coincidence! Bummer about not getting an inside pipeline though. I'm sure Fran is disappointed. You? Not so much! LOL!



Well actually, we have so many boxes with paintings in them sitting around.  We do need someone to hang the ones in our living room cause we need a really tall ladder, but until we get rid of some of our clutter, that's not happening.  One of the bedrooms is full of just boxes of artwork that we don't have room on the walls for.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I'd be hungry all the time!!



  Not everything I make comes out good.  I've had a few losers over the last year.



pkondz said:


> I'm not expecting to go to Disney this year. _Maybe_... if we're all really lucky, by the end of the year, but... I have my doubts.



I'm not expecting to go to Disney this year.  



pkondz said:


> Oh! That'd be fun... but I've not seen any of those.



Maybe when I run out of cat puzzles I post one!



pkondz said:


> But nowhere near as good as some. I don't know how they can move the pieces that fast!



And this morning I found that you had done one of my cat puzzles, well, not _mine_, per se, but you were hanging out in my neck of the puzzle woods and you were on the Leaderboard!  I had to solve it three or four times just to get within 7 seconds of your time, and I stopped doing the puzzle on the tablet and switched over to the computer for greater speed.



pkondz said:


> Busy is maybe good in these times?



No, I want more time to DIS and puzzle.  Plus eBay went and sent at 1099 (tax form for your Canadian information), so now we have to report our eBay income to the government! We are frantically trying to prove that most of the stuff we are selling is sold at a loss.....



pkondz said:


> "Fran! Look over there!!!"
> <quickly posts on the DIS>



Well, I can only do it when she is fast asleep.  Like now.  



pkondz said:


> I was aware of it in January, I think. But I don't think I was expecting _this_.



When we were on vacation in February one of my friends we met up with asked me, "What do you think about this flu going on in China?" 

And I was like, "well it's over in China, I'm not really sure it's going to affect us over here."  



pkondz said:


> Someplace I'd love to go. You've mentioned it several times.



We used to go there a lot.  In fact, I believe that my first bonus feature that I did after the lockdown was when I went there in November 2019 with my parents.  That was the day that we signed up for the dinner I just covered.  The waiter told us that they were starting a new winemaker dinner series, and we said, "We know! We already registered this morning!"



pkondz said:


> Everything sounds so good! (except the walnuts. Not a fan.)



Me neither but I didn't even really notice them. Funny about these fancy dinners, they can use all kinds of stuff that I'm not a fan of, but I don't notice it when I'm eating it.



pkondz said:


> You had me at "nice chunk of lobster."



I could use one of those about now!  Maybe when we get the apartment rented.



pkondz said:


> You know... I'm not sure if I've ever had Porchetta.
> I _know_ I've had none of the rest that was on that plate!



I've had so many odd things served to me by Marcel, I can't even keep track, I don't know if I'd had it before then or not.



pkondz said:


> Sure looked it!



And boy do I miss that kind of stuff!



pkondz said:


> It would be lost on me.



Actually I don't think so. You would be amazed at how lovely these 20 year old Cabernets taste.  They are so mellowed that they are almost like grape juice, but more sophisticated.  It's hard to describe, but when you come to visit again, and I mean _when_, we will go for another "off Disney campus" dinner and I'll bring one.  They go with lots more than big hunks of meat. Then again we could go to Steakhouse 55, I always bring my own wine for steak portion there! Well, except for a winemaker dinner!



pkondz said:


> I need Mark's Drooling Homer...
> 
> Hang on... gonna find one.



Nice!  But he awards those for unpretentious food!  



pkondz said:


> I know where to find... neither!
> Blue cheese is not high on my list, though, so I haven't really looked.



Really???  Blue cheese I can get anywhere.  There are two grocery stores close by with excellent cheese selections. Honeycomb is a bit more elusive.  There is only one store I know of that I can get honeycomb, and there it is "swimming" in a jar of honey. I did luck out one time, I found a box with just the honeycomb on the shelf next to the one in the honey.  I think it was in the wrong place, but I grabbed it and even at the price of $16, I was thrilled.  I haven't eaten any yet, but next time I put Charcuterie on the menu or cheese plate, part of it will be coming out....



pkondz said:


> Or... are you disappointed?



Well at the prices for these paintings, I'm not disappointed.  Also I didn't necessarily care for all of them.  I love my Aristocats series and the Haunted Mansions ones.  The Mickey and Minnie Series is cute, but I'm not real thrilled with the Mary Poppins based ones, just kind of strange characters.



pkondz said:


> Nice you finally got to meet!



Yes!  It was pretty cool!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Not everything I make comes out good. I've had a few losers over the last year.


If you didn't, it would mean you're not experimenting enough. I've had meals where I've asked the fam "So... keep this one or..." and gotten a unanimous "Toss it!"


franandaj said:


> I'm not expecting to go to Disney this year.


Nor I. 


franandaj said:


> Maybe when I run out of cat puzzles I post one!


Ah! I haven't looked at posting anything. I may in the future. Who knows!


franandaj said:


> And this morning I found that you had done one of my cat puzzles, well, not _mine_, per se, but you were hanging out in my neck of the puzzle woods and you were on the Leaderboard! I had to solve it three or four times just to get within 7 seconds of your time, and I stopped doing the puzzle on the tablet and switched over to the computer for greater speed.


I've done a few cat puzzles recently. Mostly just kind of a way for me to "wave" hi to you. 


franandaj said:


> No, I want more time to DIS and puzzle. Plus eBay went and sent at 1099 (tax form for your Canadian information), so now we have to report our eBay income to the government! We are frantically trying to prove that most of the stuff we are selling is sold at a loss.....


Yikes! Hope you can get that done.


franandaj said:


> Well, I can only do it when she is fast asleep. Like now.





franandaj said:


> When we were on vacation in February one of my friends we met up with asked me, "What do you think about this flu going on in China?"
> 
> And I was like, "well it's over in China, I'm not really sure it's going to affect us over here."


Oh boy... maybe a _slight_ understatement??


franandaj said:


> Me neither but I didn't even really notice them. Funny about these fancy dinners, they can use all kinds of stuff that I'm not a fan of, but I don't notice it when I'm eating it.


I've experienced that as well. 
Me: "I don't like ____, but I'll try it. ... Hey! That was good!"


franandaj said:


> Actually I don't think so. You would be amazed at how lovely these 20 year old Cabernets taste. They are so mellowed that they are almost like grape juice, but more sophisticated. It's hard to describe, but when you come to visit again, and I mean _when_, we will go for another "off Disney campus" dinner and I'll bring one. They go with lots more than big hunks of meat. Then again we could go to Steakhouse 55, I always bring my own wine for steak portion there! Well, except for a winemaker dinner!


Hmmm... I'd hate for you to _waste_ a 20 year old wine on me. I couldn't appreciate it like someone who actually _enjoys _red wine.
But if you're bringing it for you and Fran... I'd be very happy to taste it.


franandaj said:


> Nice! But he awards those for unpretentious food!


True. 


franandaj said:


> Really??? Blue cheese I can get anywhere.


Oh, me too. But I never look for it. I'm _sure_ I can get some at the local grocery store.


franandaj said:


> Honeycomb is a bit more elusive. There is only one store I know of that I can get honeycomb, and there it is "swimming" in a jar of honey. I did luck out one time, I found a box with just the honeycomb on the shelf next to the one in the honey. I think it was in the wrong place, but I grabbed it and even at the price of $16, I was thrilled. I haven't eaten any yet, but next time I put Charcuterie on the menu or cheese plate, part of it will be coming out....


Ah! I _may_ have seen some in honey as well. But again... I'm not looking. Maybe I should. I was thinking of doing a "shark cootchie" board soon.


franandaj said:


> Well at the prices for these paintings, I'm not disappointed.





franandaj said:


> Also I didn't necessarily care for all of them. I love my Aristocats series and the Haunted Mansions ones. The Mickey and Minnie Series is cute, but I'm not real thrilled with the Mary Poppins based ones, just kind of strange characters.


Interesting. I hadn't thought the characters would affect it that much.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> I had to get a few things for this, as I mainly just drink gin at home as far as spirits go



I really don't do spirits at home. I must pour them pretty heavy because they normally knock me out! 



DnA2010 said:


> That Looks SO DELISH!



I miss pretty food. 



DnA2010 said:


> This one does too! Pickled plum croquette sounds interesting



I miss eating "interesting" food.



DnA2010 said:


> Drooling...I need a big ol' glass of red



I had a nice one with our prime rib last night.



DnA2010 said:


> As mentioned, I'm going to give this a try sometime..well the blue and honeycomb...who knows about adding other stuff



The honeycomb goes nicely with all kinds of cheese. I'd say make a cheese platter and try all kinds of complimentary flavors. I like figs too, you can't always find them, so I get fig jam from the cheese shop. We have a fancy cheese place in our grocery store.



DnA2010 said:


> Awww man, I really want a fun dessert like this now too...love dark chocolate and orange together



I do know of a couple fancy bakeries where I can get neat pastries. I think I need some.



DnA2010 said:


> I do remember stories about her pusher



Funny thing is that he was just about the money. We haven't heard a word from him now that he doesn't have stuff to sell us.



DnA2010 said:


> At least he has good taste, working for Disney



I'm not sure it's a matter of taste! 



DnA2010 said:


> What are the chances hey!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Troll Alison, ignore and we'll be here having fun being friends online and reading about your yummy meals and Disney interactions.



Thanks Liesa! I'm running out of experiences to write about, but I have some ideas on what I can do until the parks open back up, hopefully before 2022.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Thanks Liesa! I'm running out of experiences to write about, but I have some ideas on what I can do until the parks open back up, hopefully before 2022.


And I will savor every one. I really have enjoyed our phone talks the last bit. I was losing touch with so many of my friends with how Covid affected me and my work schedule and life. I feel like I"m climbing out of a dark cave and I am loving spending some time re-connecting with people I most love to spend time with. 

I'm sure you'll find stuff to post about. I for one would kinda love to see you bust out some of that art.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> If you didn't, it would mean you're not experimenting enough. I've had meals where I've asked the fam "So... keep this one or..." and gotten a unanimous "Toss it!"



True. Then again I'm a pretty good judge of recipes. Most turn out to be, "That wasn't bad...but no need to try it again." I have added at least three recipes to the constant rotation, and some of the "old standards" are not coming up as often.



pkondz said:


> Ah! I haven't looked at posting anything. I may in the future. Who knows!



I may post less. Now that I've discovered bookmarks, I have more puzzles than I can do in my daily routine. And if I keep up on the DIS, that takes time from my puzzles.



pkondz said:


> I've done a few cat puzzles recently. Mostly just kind of a way for me to "wave" hi to you.



And here I thought you were taunting me with, "I do these faster than you!" 



pkondz said:


> Yikes! Hope you can get that done.



Fortunately they only started keeping track in July. We have two stores, one for Disney stuff and one for sheet music and instruments. I've done through October on Disney and almost done with October on the music stuff. Unfortunately November and December are our busiest months.



pkondz said:


> Oh boy... maybe a _slight_ understatement??



Don't vote for me for the Office of Health Director. 



pkondz said:


> I've experienced that as well.
> Me: "I don't like ____, but I'll try it. ... Hey! That was good!"



Either that or, "I didn't even taste it!"



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... I'd hate for you to _waste_ a 20 year old wine on me. I couldn't appreciate it like someone who actually _enjoys _red wine.
> But if you're bringing it for you and Fran... I'd be very happy to taste it.



We would bring it for ourselves, especially if we went to S55. But I'd let you taste it and if you liked it, have a glass.



pkondz said:


> Oh, me too. But I never look for it. I'm _sure_ I can get some at the local grocery store.



It's pretty common. My fancy cheese place has about give different kinds.



pkondz said:


> Ah! I _may_ have seen some in honey as well. But again... I'm not looking. Maybe I should. I was thinking of doing a "shark cootchie" board soon



I've done a couple of those in the past few months.





Oh and unlike the young hipsters today, I can pronounce "Charcuterie".



pkondz said:


> Interesting. I hadn't thought the characters would affect it that much.



Well, the Pearly Band wasn't a highlight of the film for me. I don't remember what the other pictures in the Mary Poppins series were, but they're sitting wrapped in paper in the "grotto room" along with probably 20-30 more pictures.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> True. Then again I'm a pretty good judge of recipes. Most turn out to be, "That wasn't bad...but no need to try it again." I have added at least three recipes to the constant rotation, and some of the "old standards" are not coming up as often.


I rarely get (if ever?) "That wasn't good at all."
But some are worth the effort and others... aren't.


franandaj said:


> I may post less. Now that I've discovered bookmarks, I have more puzzles than I can do in my daily routine. And if I keep up on the DIS, that takes time from my puzzles.



#priorities


franandaj said:


> And here I thought you were taunting me with, "I do these faster than you!"


 Nope! Just saying Hi!


franandaj said:


> Don't vote for me for the Office of Health Director.





franandaj said:


> Either that or, "I didn't even taste it!"





franandaj said:


> We would bring it for ourselves, especially if we went to S55. But I'd let you taste it and if you liked it, have a glass.


Then I just might do that. 


franandaj said:


> I've done a couple of those in the past few months.


Oh wow. That looks amazing!


franandaj said:


> Oh and unlike the young hipsters today, I can pronounce "Charcuterie".


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


>


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I rarely get (if ever?) "That wasn't good at all."
> But some are worth the effort and others... aren't.



We had one that "wasn't" last night.  It was a packaged soup mix, just meh.



pkondz said:


> Nope! Just saying Hi!







pkondz said:


> Oh wow. That looks amazing!



Thank you !



Steppesister said:


>



Thanks!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We had one that "wasn't" last night. It was a packaged soup mix, just meh.


I find that packaged soups are often... really pretty to look at. Not so great on taste.


franandaj said:


>


I'm still doing it.


----------



## SeptemberGirl

After almost a year, I came back on the boards and found this TR!  I am making my way through it!  But I have to tell you, my husband and I were in WDW the same time last year!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I find that packaged soups are often... really pretty to look at. Not so great on taste.



There are a few I have found that are good. One of them we purchased while visiting my Mom a few years ago. I found it online and asked Fran to get up more of that particular soup.  Well she did, and about 50+ other flavors, so I'm working my way through them just to get rid of them.



pkondz said:


> I'm still doing it.



I noticed you were at the top on one that I solved yesterday or the day before.


----------



## franandaj

SeptemberGirl said:


> After almost a year, I came back on the boards and found this TR!  I am making my way through it!  But I have to tell you, my husband and I were in WDW the same time last year!



Well not a lot new to post from me, as we have too many risk factors to consider traveling, and our own park is still closed.  I still have a couple memories left to post from before the shut down. After that I will have to get creative!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> There are a few I have found that are good. One of them we purchased while visiting my Mom a few years ago. I found it online and asked Fran to get up more of that particular soup. Well she did, and about 50+ other flavors, so I'm working my way through them just to get rid of them.


 So there really is such a thing as too much of a good thing!


franandaj said:


> I noticed you were at the top on one that I solved yesterday or the day before.


Just my way of saying


----------



## franandaj

So I did a post a couple months ago about how much I'm not doing and how a day generally goes, but not every day can be a day spent in the house shipping eBays and solving online jigsaw puzzles. So before I do my next Disney installment, I thought I would post about some of the more memorable events in the past year. It will be one year since LA County announced the shut down in 12 days. Life has changed a lot in that year, here's a screenshot of what a month looked like back in January of 2020.





And this what February this year looked like.





Even with all the lockdowns, the stay at home orders, and such we still had to run our businesses, take care of our health, and find some means of amusement to get us out of the house, but safely.

I warn you, this is kind of a long one, with lots of food porn, since there isn't much else that I have pictures to report about, that and vacant apartments, and kitties.

*On the subject of business:*

Like other people who are still gainfully employed we still have jobs too, our job just doesn't involve a daily commute, even if it is just from the kitchen to the living room. Many of you may know that our living is made managing apartment buildings that we own. We have 11 units and at the time of the lock down 10 were filled, however for one of those units, a tenant had given notice. We lose the best tenants to house/condo purchases! But I digress. Come April 1st both the lower units in our De Soto building (the two we used to live in) would be vacant.





This is the living area of the 3 bedroom unit which was mostly where we lived.  It didn’t look like this then!









After we had moved out in 2014, we had a few different tenants in Apartment #2, each batch only lasted a year. Most of our other tenants are much longer term. The tenant before the one who gave notice March 1st, was a total slob and a whackadoodle, and we asked her to move the previous October. This is how she kept the back patio of the unit.





The tenant in Apt 2 giving notice last March was the last straw. She lived in the building all of two months. Before she moved in, we had meant to find a psychic or someone to do a cleansing on the place, and then I realized what to do! I called up my friendly Primary Care Physician and VooDoo Witch Doctor and asked about the unit. She told me that a previous tenant in the unit above (whom we had also asked to move several years before) had put a curse on the building. We made an appointment for the doc to meet us there and she used an alternative to sage, and burned it in the different apartments while chanting things under her breath. I don't know if it helped, but the building is currently full and I think they are all happy there.

It was interesting showing apartments in the early days of the pandemic. Lots of larger apartment complexes were not even showing units. I guess they didn't need the rental income. We did! So I still set up appointments. This was right around the time when the great mask debate was starting. If a potential tenant showed up without a mask, they were instantly declined (in my mind) based on the fact that if they can't see fit to wear a mask to protect me, how can I trust them to treat my apartment building well? These were some shots from the other vacant apartment, Unit #2.









Around mid April some tenants came along for unit #1, they were relocating from elsewhere in California and a 3 bedroom fit their family perfectly. One down, one to go!

*On the subject of health:*

Back in December, both Fran and I had been referred to Periodontists by our regular dentist. Frans doc was widely open and she had her initial consultation before all of this went down, I don't remember why I didn't go to the consultation, but I think we were busy, and it was definitely before we'd even heard the word covid.

She had set up an appointment in April for her procedure, and since I wasn't with her for the consult, I really didn't know what it entailed. I had a consult appointment in March with my periodontist. But with the lock down, both of us had our appointments postponed indefinitely. By the time May rolled around, businesses were starting to reopen. Folks were realizing that we're in this for the long haul and they better figure out how to live through it. Well it was around this time that they got around to rescheduling us. Fran went first. Since she went to her consultation alone I didn't even know what procedure she was having, but she didn't seem alarmed, so I wasn't either.

After the procedure I get a call from the doc, and she says that Fran will be on a liquid diet for the next week.

*What????? *

This is what happens when Fran sees doctors without me! She doesn't ask all the questions and we come home with surprises. I plan our meals weeks in advance and now I've got to rethink everything for the next week!

I got real creative. While cleaning out the garages at De Soto, I found this brand new cooking blender. I guess a tenant had left it and we just tucked it away without looking at it, so I decided to give it a try.

Turns out it was a faulty product. The motor burnt out and after some online searching I learned it had been discontinued because the motor burnt out easily. But I got to use it a couple times to try some new tasty soup recipes. 





Since I wasn't on a liquid diet, I could have and sandwich with my soup.





I mentioned that both of us had been referred to Periodontists. Two days after her gum graft (what I found out the procedure was later), I had an appointment with my doc. I have an old "injury" in my back left molar where an over zealous gum surgeon hacked at my mouth barbarically. 

Its always been an area that got special attention at the dentist, and now it had come to the point it needed to be addressed. Since we had no idea how Fran's recovery would go, I thought it best to hold off on my own surgery so that both of us weren't down for the count. Also, her surgery set us back $1K, and mine was gonna be $2K plus, so we had to get crackin' on eBay! And we still hadn't rented apartment #2.

*Affording our health:*

So we did what anyone short on cash would do, we grabbed some turquoise jewelry and a contrabass clarinet and sold them on eBay! 





That one is called a "paper clip" model. We also sold one like this a couple years ago.





I only have one picture of turquoise, Fran deleted the others after they sold, but they were way more spectacular.





The turquoise was easy, just wrap it in bubble wrap and found a sturdy box. The contrabass clarinet, not so much.

The first box was a breeze, we had been answering ads for free moving boxes on Craigslist so we had this wardrobe box sitting around. 





The problem was once we got it all packed up with peanuts and the horn, it weighed in at $250 for shipping. It was because the sides were 24" on each one. So we recalculated and with 18" sides the ship cost went down to about $65, well within the price we charged the buyer. So the next day we "built" a box using our handy dandy Lowe's Heavy Duty Medium boxes. We transferred the peanuts and the horn and were done with that one. 









The woman who bought the instrument gave it to her son as a graduation present. He was one of those seniors who missed out on his final year and was going to music school in the Fall (or so he hoped.) She said we packed it very nicely and it was going to a good home.

*Back to the subject of health:*

So the day of my gum surgery arrived. I took my loopy pill an hour before the surgery and Fran drove me to the office. One was enough and I was plenty out of it! When it was all over, he didn't give me any dietary restrictions, but cautioned me to chew only on the right side of my mouth for a few weeks, and told me I might want to avoid really warm or really cold foods as that area would be sensitive. 

We stopped at my favorite Jewish Deli/bakery (which just happened to be down the street from his office) and got me some Motza ball and noodle soup. Everything there comes with pickles and fresh made bread.





And I promptly passed out.





For dinner we ordered from our favorite Japanese/Thai restaurant.





The recovery period on my mouth was rather long. I think it was a month or so that I was still experiencing pain, but it's fine now.

*Back to business:*

It wasn't until July 10th that we finally got the last apartment rented. 

And there was much rejoicing! 

We were fully rented.

For less than 20 days.


It turns out that due to the pandemic, LA area traffic became a lot less congested. One of my tenants had rented the place several years ago and was being reimbursed by his employer because of his long commute home. Back when he rented the unit it would take him two hours each way, now he was back home in 45 minutes after leaving work, so it didn’t make sense to keep paying for a place he didn’t need.

Luckily, since the guy only used it as a “crash pad” there wasn’t a lot that needed to be done before it could be listed. So I went ahead and put it up on the apartment listing website a couple days after he turned in the keys, without even having looked inside. He did tell me there was a “spill” on the kitchen floor that needed to be mopped up but otherwise it was in good condition. I listed it around 1 in the afternoon, and the website gave me a message that the listing would go live once it had been verified. 

The next morning my phone rang at 7AM. I'm sometimes halfway conscious at that hour, but this wasn't one of those days. It was someone asking about the apartment! 

Seriously? 

At this time of day? 

I wasn't coherent enough to speak with him and assured him that I would not rent the place before he called me back at 9AM. We set up an appointment for that day, and even with the mess on the floor, and the place hadn’t been cleaned at all, they were like, "we'll take it!"  

Here’s a couple shots of that unit.









I've had some bad experiences so I was really wary. It turns out they actually own a house down the street from that building and had been looking for a place for the wife's mom to relocate from the midwest after she sold her house. Normally we don't take co-signers because it's plausible that a college kid could tick off their parents and get cut off. In this case they were trying to get mom closer to help her out, and get a built in babysitter. It was nearly six weeks before Mom would be moving in so we made a deal on the rent, and boom! We were fully rented again!


*A new and interesting hobby:*

Living in LA County for the last 30+ years, traffic is something to which we have become accustomed. One of the ways we pass the time on congested Freeways is by listening to audio books. In fact we have been doing it since the books were on CD and cassette tapes. We have listened to dozens of book series in the car. When the lockdown hit, we were in the middle of a riveting Tom Clancy book and needed to come up with time in the car to finish it. But now with nowhere to go, that was difficult.

Fran signed up on a FB group for transporting cats. Sounds weird, but there are a lot of folks out there in the kitty rescue field who need to get cats from one place to another, and either don’t have transportation or due to work schedules it’s just not feasible. On one particular day we spent a morning/afternoon driving about 10 miles north of our house to pick up two kitties going to Hemet (which is out in the desert). It was several hours and hot, but we made a thing of it stopping to grab lunch and some dessert (which we ate in the car) after the kitties reached their destination. These aren’t the two kitties we transported, they’re Bagel and Tesla, our kitties.





This "job" was a new one for us.

We got our first (and only, so far) experience with the free spay and neuter truck in early September. There was a woman in South LA with three little foster kittens that needed to be spayed/neutered.  She had a day job and the truck was only in her area one day every few weeks. We had to be there at 7AM, and I couldn't believe that I was up at 5:30AM for someone else's kitties! We picked up the little ones and headed off to the location she told us about, only to find this sign posted in the window.





She had provided us with paperwork and a phone number which we called only to find out that the truck would be there Friday, not Wednesday. So we brought the kitties back to her house and did the whole thing over again two days later.

It was quite the operation! We got there at 6:45AM and shortly thereafter some people set up a table in the large parking lot. They gave me some forms and directed me to stand against the adjacent building. Luckily I was the first one in line! Pretty soon a long line of people (socially distanced, of course) formed behind me. Once the people in charge checked the paperwork, they had me get the cats out of the car (still in their carriers) and stand on the opposite side of the parking lot near the fence. The people after me had obviously done this before because they had brought masking tape and a sharpie and began labeling their carriers with all the kitten's names. Within another few minutes a big motorhome like rig pulled into the parking lot and evidently this was a veterinary hospital on wheels.

By quarter to 8AM they had taken the cats and were shooing us out of the parking lot to make room for other folks who were still arriving. They told us to come back around 10:15 to pick up the cats. It wasn't far from Long Beach so we headed back to town, picked up some breakfast that we ate in the car, we had some curbside pick up orders from Lowe’s and Target, so we took care of those. By the time we picked up our orders, it was time to head back and get the kittens.  These are our kittens when they were babies, not the ones we took that day.





*Happy Anniversary!*

As the year ticked along like most of you events that may have warranted a party, a night out or something just rolled by without fanfare. Our 12th wedding anniversary came and went without a bang. I got a great deal on a Tomohawk Rib Eye, I think it was $8.99lb or something like that, Fran requested sauteed onions with it, and we accompanied it with Lyonnaise potatoes, spinach, and a BV Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 20 years.





For dessert, I found these molten center caramel cakes in the freezer section, we happened to have some leftover butter cake, and I added some whipped cream and berries for my best attempt at a fancy dessert. It did the trick, we drank ice wine from @DnA2010 with this.






*Fran Loves Free (or almost):*

Back in October Fran found a kitty condo on Craigslist for $10 up in the San Fernando Valley. That’s about an hour from here and I used to live there when we met. We took the 50 mile drive as another opportunity to listen to our book (we had finished the initial one and had moved on to another completely different series). We also use any trip to the Valley as an excuse to pick up some goodies from restaurants I used to love when I lived there.

One of my favorite restaurants is one that I have been eating at since 1986. It’s called the Mandarin Deli. They have moved since that original location, but the food is still just as good.  One of my most favorite items are the boiled meat dumplings.





We also get something like Fried Rice, or Chow Mein, and maybe a soup. We just ordered take out, and then pulled into a shady spot on a side street and had lunch.

Prior to visiting the Chinese Restaurant we went to another one of my favorites, LA Lasagne. They too have moved from their original location when I started eating there also in the 80’s. They have some lovely unusual items like a Florentine Lasagne, Cannelloni (tubular pasta stuffed with meat and covered in red sauce), and Arancini (deep fried balls of rice filled with ground meat and cheese). I have them pack the items for reheating. They are normally served in foil pans, but they put the cheese and extra sauce on the side. We bring a cooler along, and then that night when we get home, that’s our dinner.  Yum!





Oh yeah, and here are the kitties enjoying said $10 cat tree.  It’s almost always occupied by someone.





*The arrival of Mortimer and other critters:*

Around the beginning of November Fran got a pet mouse in her bathroom. I know you’re probably scratching your head, but evidently one night when she was going to her bathroom (it’s a small room with just the toilet within the Master bathroom) she opened the toilet lid to see a mouse climb out of the bowl and scurry into the clutter.

Because she is a softy when it comes to animals, she won’t trap it in the sort that would kill it. In fact she put out food and water for it.





She bought a trap for rodents, and we’ve tried to get it to take the bait, but no luck so far. She says that she knows it’s alive because she can hear it scurrying during the night when she is in there.  Plus the cats hang out by the door with great interest.





And four months later, Mortimer is still there.


By this time of the year, eBays were coming fast and furious. Here's a typical day from December. 





It’s slowed back down to between 3-10 packages a day, but as Christmas was approaching, I kinda thought I was going to lose my mind trying to keep up!


Oh yeah, and then there was the situation at the La Pasada building! So Thanksgiving day, I was just getting ready to put my turkey in the oven when I got a call from a tenant that her kitchen ceiling fan was leaking water….she’s the only tenant who lives underneath another apartment, so I immediately called the tenant above her and asked if she was running water. She was just about to leave for her daughter’s place (remember the one who moved in a few months back because her daughter lived around the corner?) She told me that she had just started her dishwasher and she would go turn it off.

As is my usual, I dropped everything that I was doing and headed over there. I couldn’t see any leak upstairs, but there was a definite puddle in the middle of the lower apartment’s kitchen.

While Fran called a plumber, I came back home to get some extra towels and a bin to catch the water, before heading back to wait with the plumber, since the upstairs tenant was leaving for her Thanksgiving celebration. I also used the time to put my Turkey in the oven while leaving Fran strict instructions on when to baste it.

As it turned out, the guy who used the place as a crash pad never used the dishwasher, so he didn’t realize that a rodent had chewed through the supply line. Since the floor under the cupboards was not tiled, the leak went directly into the wood flooring and seeped out through the ceiling fan below. The plumber had to order the part special, so we agreed to not run the dishwasher and that was that.  Or so we thought. 

A few days later I got a call from the upstairs tenant that there was definitely some sort of critter living in her cabinets.  He had taken her Pirate Booty from the cupboard below, and took it up to the drawer above and as she put it, “had a little party.” Fran had heard an ad on the radio about a rodent pest company that had a lifetime guarantee on their services, so we set up an appointment with them. They came out on a Friday and had us scheduled for the following Monday to “rodent proof” the building. While we “walked” the property the guy showed me that they were alive and frolicking not only in the attic, but in the garage too.





There is a reason that they have a lifetime guarantee. Their service wasn’t cheap. Luckily they offer a four month payment plan, so it was “more” affordable. And Monday morning they were out at the place with a full team. I wish I’d taken pictures! But they had quite the production going on. The entire lawn on the left side of the walkway was filled with ladders, tool boxes, materials, and all sorts of other stuff.





Some of these guys who were going up in the attics were wearing full-on hazmat suits. The company’s promise was that they would remove all rodent residue, spray everything with their proprietary rodent repellent and seal up every access point the size of a dime or greater. They started around 7:30AM and it wasn’t until after 6PM that they finally packed everything up and left. They had set traps in key areas, and promised to come back twice to check them.

They came back about four days later and removed at least two dead rats. The tenants in the front two units with a shared attic noted that they heard scratching up above, yet nothing was caught in the traps.

A little less than two weeks after their first recheck, the rat people came back to check the traps again. There were no rats that had been caught, but the tenants in the front unit were reporting seeing a critter through the vents in their heating system, he said he thought it was a possum. Of the five units, only one has a heating system with ducts and vents, the other units have just a wall heater in the living room/hallway. The guy in that unit said he actually saw it looking out, but he couldn’t get a decent picture so when the rat trap guy came to check the traps and such, he acted like the tenant was crazy. Upon further inquiry with the company, they only deal with rodents, larger animals like possums are actually classified as wildlife and we would need another company to deal with those. They suggested we give them a call back when we had "dealt with the wildlife."

We did call someone and he did come out, but after he heard about everything that we had already done, he thought that the possum was going in and out of the attic because they could only go five days without water. He opened up one of the passages that the other company had sealed up just in case so the critter could escape. My tenants did tell me that the scratching had stopped, so we asked the rodent folks to come back and seal up the hole. It was on this visit that they found the racoon who had died in the duct work. 

Thankfully they removed it, as well as a bunch of the damaged duct work. The technicians advised the tenant not to use the heating system, and promised we would receive a quote for the repair or rather replacement for the duct system. Evidently it was really old. I got a second quote from the company I use for most of our repairs which came out to double the price of the rodent company. I chose the rodent company’s bid because in addition to replacing the duct work, they would also treat the area again with their proprietary rodent deterrent. I’m hoping that chapter is now fully closed!

*On the matter of law enforcement:*

So you never really know who your tenants will end up turning out. You have to trust that their history on paper tells enough of a story that you have chosen wisely. Let's just say that on some particular tenants there was some hearsay I got through the other tenants in the building.  A few years back I heard that one younger individual was taken away on felony assault charges against an elder individual in the same unit. I expected them to move out, but it didn’t happen and I didn’t hear about any other incidents, for a while.

Then in a casual discussion with that same tenant, she informed me that shortly after the new tenant had moved in upstairs, the police had come responding to a 911 call. It seems the there was some questionable behavior going on in their unit. I explained that if that ever happens again, *CALL ME*. We need to witness this!

Well, a few days after Christmas while on our way to the grocery store, I get a call. I knew it was bad news because this tenant never calls, always texts. And yes, the police were approaching the building, guns drawn.

After that incident the individuals decided to vacate the apartment and they were gone within five days.

And we are vacant again. This time it was 110 days being fully rented.

And here we are again two months later, still with an apartment for rent.

*Plumbing issues never stop:*

A couple weeks later, as if we had not had enough property related expenses, I opened the water bill for the other building. Normally it runs between $275-325, but this one was over $500! We quickly drafted letters to the tenants in the building that we would be coming over tomorrow to take a look at all of their plumbing fixtures to see if their unit was causing the leak. When I got to the third unit, he had been proactive and took a look under the kitchen sink. This is what he found.





I had Fran call the plumber immediately and luckily they weren't too busy. It was a leaky garbage disposal so they replaced it. They also fixed a loose chain on one of the toilets, so hopefully that takes care of it. I had a guy come out yesterday and he did a beautiful job of replacing it, with waterproof sealer and everything!

Other than that nothing much has been going on. Most days are still filled with staying in bed too long, watching the news, solving online jigsaw puzzles, and doing eBays in the after, although not nearly as many as the Fall. 

Still trying to rent the apartment left vacant in January, and just slogging along with the daily grind and trying to get back into the DIS!

I'll be back in a while with another Disney update, back when Disneyland was open, and we could still play around trying to get a spot on Rise of the Resistance!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> So there really is such a thing as too much of a good thing!



I'd say more like too much of a mediocre thing.  Of the many soups that I have tried, only 3-4 have received a "we should reorder this" rating.



pkondz said:


> Just my way of saying


----------



## tiggrbaby

Wow, never a dull moment!

Your kitties are so adorable!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> not every day can be a day spent in the house shipping eBays and solving online jigsaw puzzles.


Correct. Some days should be just the puzzles.


franandaj said:


> It will be one year since LA County announced the shut down in 12 days.


Time flies when you're having fun!!!!


Yeah... Longest year ever?


franandaj said:


> here's a screenshot of what a month looked like back in January of 2020.





franandaj said:


> And this what February this year looked like.


I think I see the difference. It's very subtle. Very.


franandaj said:


> Many of you may know that our living is made managing apartment buildings that we own.





franandaj said:


> We lose the best tenants to house/condo purchases!


Makes sense. If they're a good tenant, they're probably responsible enough or disciplined enough to save for a condo/house.


franandaj said:


> This is how she kept the back patio of the unit.


Well, if the shoe fits... and fits... and fits... and...


franandaj said:


> We made an appointment for the doc to meet us there and she used an alternative to sage, and burned it in the different apartments while chanting things under her breath. I don't know if it helped, but the building is currently full and I think they are all happy there.


I can't say if it helped either. But it obviously didn't _hurt_!


franandaj said:


> If a potential tenant showed up without a mask, they were instantly declined (in my mind) based on the fact that if they can't see fit to wear a mask to protect me, how can I trust them to treat my apartment building well?


Huh! Clever.


franandaj said:


> After the procedure I get a call from the doc, and she says that Fran will be on a liquid diet for the next week.





franandaj said:


> I found this brand new cooking blender. I guess a tenant had left it and we just tucked it away without looking at it, so I decided to give it a try.


Score!


franandaj said:


> Turns out it was a faulty product. The motor burnt out


I retract my "score" comment.


franandaj said:


> Since I wasn't on a liquid diet, I could have and sandwich with my soup.


mmmm... grilled cheese. The ultimate in comfort food?


franandaj said:


> and a contrabass clarinet


I don't think I've seen one of those before.


franandaj said:


> That one is called a "paper clip" model. We also sold one like this a couple years ago.


Whoa!


franandaj said:


> I only have one picture of turquoise, Fran deleted the others after they sold, but they were way more spectacular.


Interesting piece. I like turquoise, but don't have anything. Then again, I don't wear any jewelery.


franandaj said:


> The problem was once we got it all packed up with peanuts and the horn, it weighed in at $250 for shipping. It was because the sides were 24" on each one. So we recalculated and with 18" sides the ship cost went down to about $65,


Huh!! That's a pretty huge savings!


franandaj said:


> got me some Motza ball and noodle soup.


Yum!


franandaj said:


> And I promptly passed out.


Awww... poor l'il Alison. 


franandaj said:


> The recovery period on my mouth was rather long. I think it was a month or so that I was still experiencing pain, but it's fine now.


I am almost positive we talked about this. Unless you had other dental work.


franandaj said:


> It wasn't until July 10th that we finally got the last apartment rented.
> 
> And there was much rejoicing!
> 
> We were fully rented.
> 
> For less than 20 days.





franandaj said:


> I wasn't coherent enough to speak with him and assured him that I would not rent the place before he called me back at 9AM.


 Sorry. That just strikes me as hilarious.


franandaj said:


> Living in LA County for the last 30+ years, traffic is something to which we have become accustomed.


It certainly took this northern boy by surprise!
I mean... I'd _heard_ of LA traffic. But experiencing it was a whole other thing.


franandaj said:


> One of the ways we pass the time on congested Freeways is by listening to audio books. In fact we have been doing it since the books were on CD and cassette tapes.


I do that too, on road trips. In town the drives never last long enough to really get into the story. You can pretty much get from anywhere to anywhere else in our city in 30-45 minutes.


franandaj said:


> Fran signed up on a FB group for transporting cats. Sounds weird, but there are a lot of folks out there in the kitty rescue field who need to get cats from one place to another, and either don’t have transportation or due to work schedules it’s just not feasible.


Oh!
There was a show I used to watch called Shipping Wars. There were 4-5 people who'd bid on items to be shipped. Sometimes they were huge pieces, other times small. On occasion there was an animal. I've often thought that I should look for cats and dogs needing shipping along my route of travel.


franandaj said:


> We picked up the little ones and headed off to the location she told us about, only to find this sign posted in the window.





franandaj said:


> She had provided us with paperwork and a phone number which we called only to find out that the truck would be there Friday, not Wednesday. So we brought the kitties back to her house and did the whole thing over again two days later.





franandaj said:


> It was quite the operation!


Pun intended???? 


franandaj said:


> Our 12th wedding anniversary came and went without a bang.


Ours too. (not 12th, but... )


franandaj said:


>


Wow that looks good. Did you do it on your outdoor BBQ?


franandaj said:


> Fran Loves Free (or almost):


Fran almost loves free?




franandaj said:


> one night when she was going to her bathroom (it’s a small room with just the toilet within the Master bathroom) she opened the toilet lid to see a mouse climb out of the bowl and scurry into the clutter.





franandaj said:


> Because she is a softy when it comes to animals, she won’t trap it in the sort that would kill it.


<sigh> Next time we're together, ask me about the squirrel at my parents'.


franandaj said:


> She bought a trap for rodents, and we’ve tried to get it to take the bait, but no luck so far. She says that she knows it’s alive because she can hear it scurrying during the night when she is in there. Plus the cats hang out by the door with great interest.


Must be eating something, then?


franandaj said:


> By this time of the year, eBays were coming fast and furious.


Heh. Looks like my place sometimes when all three ladies start ordering.


franandaj said:


> I got a call from a tenant that her kitchen ceiling fan was leaking water….


Ah yes, I remember this.


franandaj said:


> As it turned out, the guy who used the place as a crash pad never used the dishwasher, so he didn’t realize that a rodent had chewed through the supply line.


 Yup. Remember that.


franandaj said:


> He had taken her Pirate Booty from the cupboard below, and took it up to the drawer above and as she put it, “had a little party.”





franandaj said:


> There is a reason that they have a lifetime guarantee. Their service wasn’t cheap.


And yet... it could pay for itself in the long run.


franandaj said:


> Some of these guys who were going up in the attics were wearing full-on hazmat suits.


Not surprised. Hanta virus.


franandaj said:


> They came back about four days later and removed at least two dead rats.





franandaj said:


> Upon further inquiry with the company, they only deal with rodents, larger animals like possums are actually classified as wildlife and we would need another company to deal with those.


Huh. Well... I guess that's a specialty.


franandaj said:


> It was on this visit that they found the racoon who had died in the duct work.


Oh, my.


franandaj said:


> I’m hoping that chapter is now fully closed!


I bet!


franandaj said:


> And yes, the police were approaching the building, guns drawn.





franandaj said:


> After that incident the individuals decided to vacate the apartment and they were gone within five days.


I'm sure you weren't overly upset to see them go.

Wait. _Which_ individuals? The ones that called the cops or the ones the cops came for???


franandaj said:


> Other than that nothing much has been going on.


Yup. Nothing much.




franandaj said:


> I'd say more like too much of a mediocre thing. Of the many soups that I have tried, only 3-4 have received a "we should reorder this" rating.


Not overly surprising. Ah well. You don't know unless you try.


----------



## SeptemberGirl

Still reading the TR part, but I loved the life as it is now updates! Your cats are adorable - I write this with my two cats next to me.  

HM - so I have a DAS and went to WDW recently. They walked us in the exit, to the door that takes you right onto the ride.  I am appalled that they didn't do this for Fran. I have never seen it done any other way than the one I mentioned - I wonder if the CMs were untrained and unfamiliar with the process.  There is no way to walk that whole line and have it be accessible! 

The MK photos of you two were terrific!


----------



## SeptemberGirl

Riveria.  We stayed here recently and I whole heartedly agree with you.

Topolino's.  I've eaten here twice, once pre pandemic (February 2020) and once again.  The first time it was exquisite.  Like Palo level (nothing is Remy/V &A).  But better than California Grill.  I adored it.  The food, the service, the wine list.

The second time it was fine, but nothing special.  The food was still good but the atmosphere was not the same, but I chalk that up to the Covid procedures. I would still try it again.  Coincidentally, California Grill was also sub par initially after the re opening and now, the regular staff is back and it's wonderful again. 

The QS Primo Piatto - I wasn't impressed.  Like you said, there was opportunity for other entrees.  But, I guess they didn't want it to be too French or too Italian? 

The bar La Riva  - I actually liked the tables outside and the waitress service and the specialty drink. I found it charming and pleasant and it reminded me strongly of places I've been in Europe. The look, if not the food.

Le Petit Cafe - we found the coffee to be fine, and the pastries sub par.  It just didn't feel like a European cafe in any way. And those are the best things ever! I mean, who doesn't want a delicious chocolate croissant to start the day?

The pool areas - I thought the gelato at the pool was a cute touch. I didn't love the main pool, and the quiet pool was pretty, if bland.  I found the hot tub crowded (in August) and wondered why they didn't install two, as in other deluxe/dvc resorts. 

The common spaces - again, we found these mostly bland.  The lobby wasn't interesting and it didn't draw you in. The art in one hallway was amazing!  And we loved the art in the rooms. We also liked the gift shop, and I have been there on a few trips.  Their art kiosk is really good! And it has different options than the one in Disney Springs. They also have nice resort themed merchandise.

Transportation - I understand why they chose skyliners.  it's innovative and it's definitely European.  However, the need to wait in a huge line to transfer to get to DHS really turned me off.  I was actually fairly annoyed at how the morning rush to Studios worked.  And I don't get annoyed at crowds or procedures - this was ridiculous.  They offered busing at Caribbean Beach - why am I paying Riveria prices if this perk doesn't get me to the park in a timely manner? This, above all else, really convinced us that we did not need to buy points there.

The rooms - we stayed in a studio and a one bedroom.  I loved the rooms, I found them spacious and well thought out.  The standard view is VERY standard, it makes the Boardwalk standard view look good.  It's just too close to the parking lot and doesn't have the distance that the graceful sweep of the Boardwalk resort gives you. Nope, it's your window and a car. 

I agree that this resort needs a spa.  I liked the murals but they aren't in a prominent enough place. This is no Grand, and its not even a Wilderness Lodge.  It's just lacking something - it's as if they couldn't explain the theme well enough to themselves, and thus the resort is left with some blanks.


----------



## SeptemberGirl

franandaj said:


> *[Continued from Previous Post]*
> 
> 
> Steakhouse 55 is an old school style Steakhouse in the Disneyland Hotel.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This looks AMAZING.  I'm going to add it to the list for when we eventually can come back to California!


----------



## Steppesister

Sooooo much in your update, Alison and so much to comment on. You really made lemonade out of lemons and managed to stay busy and well fed!! All of your furbabies are so adorable.  

I do have to quote this:



franandaj said:


> On one particular day we spent a morning/afternoon driving about 10 miles north of our house to pick up two kitties going to Hemet (which is out in the desert).




You didn't tell me you were headed to my hometown!!  Funny! Growing up there, it never felt hot. I mean, I know it was, but it never felt like it. So, SO different now. Just sort of a ghetto/hood and that makes me very very sad.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> his is the living area of the 3 bedroom unit which was mostly where we lived. It didn’t look like this then!



I think I remember some of these renos!



franandaj said:


>



Geez..thanks eh!



franandaj said:


> I had an appointment with my doc. I have an old "injury" in my back left molar where an over zealous gum surgeon hacked at my mouth barbarically.



I think I remember you telling me about this...surgeons...



franandaj said:


>





franandaj said:


> That one is called a "paper clip" model.



I kinda see why, neat! 



franandaj said:


> She said we packed it very nicely and it was going to a good home.



it's always nice when things are going to a place where they will be appreciated 



franandaj said:


> Motza ball and noodle soup. Everything there comes with pickles and fresh made bread.



Ok this is something I've seen on tv/movies, but never tried...will have to rectify that some day 



franandaj said:


> And I promptly passed out.



With a pair cats of course!



franandaj said:


> next morning my phone rang at 7AM.



Seriously dude?!



franandaj said:


> We were fully rented again!






franandaj said:


> Fran signed up on a FB group for transporting cats. Sounds weird



A bit weird, but when I read, I was like "this is totally Fran"



franandaj said:


> he had provided us with paperwork and a phone number which we called only to find out that the truck would be there Friday, not Wednesday.



Facepalm 



franandaj said:


>



Kittens!!!! Hey little guys!



franandaj said:


> It did the trick, we drank ice wine from @DnA2010 with this.



I will pick up extra again, in hopes that some day I will be able to give it to you...



franandaj said:


> Fran Loves Free (or almost):



Dorian says this about me also...I love me free or almost free..



franandaj said:


> boiled meat dumplings.



These look like wontons to me? 



franandaj said:


>



Twinning much!!



franandaj said:


> but as Christmas was approaching, I kinda thought I was going to lose my mind trying to keep up!



I remember this! Was this when you were doing music also?



franandaj said:


> Oh yeah, and then there was the situation at the La Pasada building!



Ahh yes



franandaj said:


> Pirate Booty



I remember getting Pirate Booty at the DL Halloween party!



franandaj said:


> There is a reason that they have a lifetime guarantee.



Hopefully you don't have to call on them too much!



franandaj said:


> two dead rats



Not just mice hey...yikes



franandaj said:


> I chose the rodent company’s bid because in addition to replacing the duct work, they would also treat the area again with their proprietary rodent deterrent. I’m hoping that chapter is now fully closed!



Let's hope so indeed..lifetime warrenty- good, but having to call them, bad...



franandaj said:


> *On the matter of law enforcement:*



Oh boy I remember all this! Wine o'clock those days!



franandaj said:


> Normally it runs between $275-325, but this one was over $500!



Whoa no wonder you got investigation, almost a 100% jump!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

Hi Alison!  Just checking in to see how you guys are doing.



franandaj said:


> And this what February this year looked like.



Yeah...I liked being busy a lot better.



franandaj said:


> The tenant before the one who gave notice March 1st, was a total slob and a whackadoodle, and we asked her to move the previous October. This is how she kept the back patio of the unit.



Hey, you never know when you're going to need an extra coat hanger or another pair of shoes.



franandaj said:


> I called up my friendly Primary Care Physician and VooDoo Witch Doctor and asked about the unit. She told me that a previous tenant in the unit above (whom we had also asked to move several years before) had put a curse on the building. We made an appointment for the doc to meet us there and she used an alternative to sage, and burned it in the different apartments while chanting things under her breath.



Um...ok... 



franandaj said:


> If a potential tenant showed up without a mask, they were instantly declined (in my mind) based on the fact that if they can't see fit to wear a mask to protect me, how can I trust them to treat my apartment building well?



Your house, your rules!



franandaj said:


> After the procedure I get a call from the doc, and she says that Fran will be on a liquid diet for the next week.
> 
> *What????? *
> 
> This is what happens when Fran sees doctors without me! She doesn't ask all the questions and we come home with surprises. I plan our meals weeks in advance and now I've got to rethink everything for the next week!



Oh good grief.  That's quite the curveball.



franandaj said:


> So we did what anyone short on cash would do, we grabbed some turquoise jewelry and a contrabass clarinet and sold them on eBay!



If I had a dollar for every time I did that...



franandaj said:


> So we recalculated and with 18" sides the ship cost went down to about $65, well within the price we charged the buyer. So the next day we "built" a box using our handy dandy Lowe's Heavy Duty Medium boxes. We transferred the peanuts and the horn and were done with that one.



Hey, way to Macgyver yourselves out of that one.



franandaj said:


> And I promptly passed out.



So did the cats.



franandaj said:


> It wasn't until July 10th that we finally got the last apartment rented.
> 
> And there was much rejoicing!



Woohoo!



franandaj said:


> We were fully rented.
> 
> For less than 20 days.



D'oh.



franandaj said:


> We were fully rented again!



Woohoo!



franandaj said:


>



Full marks for the name there.



franandaj said:


> I got a great deal on a Tomohawk Rib Eye, I think it was $8.99lb or something like that,



Wow, nice deal.  And happy anniversary!



franandaj said:


> Because she is a softy when it comes to animals, she won’t trap it in the sort that would kill it. In fact she put out food and water for it.







franandaj said:


> And four months later, Mortimer is still there.







franandaj said:


> As is my usual, I dropped everything that I was doing and headed over there. I couldn’t see any leak upstairs, but there was a definite puddle in the middle of the lower apartment’s kitchen.



Oh no!  Hidden leaks are the worst.



franandaj said:


> There were no rats that had been caught, but the tenants in the front unit were reporting seeing a critter through the vents in their heating system, he said he thought it was a possum. Of the five units, only one has a heating system with ducts and vents, the other units have just a wall heater in the living room/hallway. The guy in that unit said he actually saw it looking out, but he couldn’t get a decent picture so when the rat trap guy came to check the traps and such, he acted like the tenant was crazy. Upon further inquiry with the company, they only deal with rodents, larger animals like possums are actually classified as wildlife and we would need another company to deal with those. They suggested we give them a call back when we had "dealt with the wildlife."



Possums!  Holy crap.



franandaj said:


> It was on this visit that they found the racoon who had died in the duct work.



A raccoon!  This house is going to be featured on Wild America.



franandaj said:


> A few years back I heard that one younger individual was taken away on felony assault charges against an elder individual in the same unit.



 



franandaj said:


> Then in a casual discussion with that same tenant, she informed me that shortly after the new tenant had moved in upstairs, the police had come responding to a 911 call. It seems the there was some questionable behavior going on in their unit. I explained that if that ever happens again, *CALL ME*. We need to witness this!



You could write a book at this point.



franandaj said:


> When I got to the third unit, he had been proactive and took a look under the kitchen sink. This is what he found.



Oh, good grief.  Enough with the plumbing issues!


----------



## T.wilkes

Allison,  I have read all of your reports.and loved them!  Is there a way I can contact you about music?  Thank you, tammy p.s. I am looking for a specific instrument.  My email is t.wilkes52@gmail.com


----------



## franandaj

Hey folks!  Well it looks like I fell off the planet again for over a month, but a heck of a lot has been going on here!

You remember that we had a vacant apartment in the beginning of March?  Well about halfway through the month a tenant came along, and needed to sign papers either the day they got approved or couldn't do it for another week (based on work schedule). So we got it done with the promise that when they moved in (after her 5 days of 12 hour shifts) we would have the last bits of work done (smoke alarms, replacing light fixtures etc.)

Then Fran signed up for a Covid shot, I went along for moral support and whadda ya know, they poked me in the arm too! We got our second shots about 10 days ago so, this week we will be fully vaccinated and I plan to celebrate by dining inside at Shabu Shabu!

I'm not exactly sure what else has been keeping me busy, eBay is awful slow. The cookbook is well on it's way to completion. It's all written and now it's down to formatting the pages of the print version. Also still proofing the online version as well.  We are cleaning out the garage, and that is exhausting. So far we have given away a dryer, a generator (didn't work), a box of random cords, a pedestal, and some other minor things. We've also made several trips to the thrift store. We have rearranged one of our storage units so that we can put more of the garage stuff we want to keep in there, also exhausting.

But the big news is this:

 We're going to Disneyland!  


Park reservations opened up this morning and I was able to snag a dozen different dates over the next two months including opening day!

I'll be back to reply to your posts, but I wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking, just busy as heck and trying to hang in there.  I think I will be starting a new Trip Report on the DL boards, so I will send a link to that when I get it up and running.  It might not be until after the weekend of the 1st since I've got big plans for that entire weekend!  So excited that Disney is part of those plans!

Anyways, just coming up for air and hope to be back for replies soon!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Wow, never a dull moment!



You'd think that not going anywhere and staying home, things would calm down.  



tiggrbaby said:


> Your kitties are so adorable!



Thanks! I think they are too!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well it looks like I fell off the planet again for over a month





franandaj said:


> You remember that we had a vacant apartment in the beginning of March?





franandaj said:


> Then Fran signed up for a Covid shot, I went along for moral support and whadda ya know, they poked me in the arm too! We got our second shots about 10 days ago so, this week we will be fully vaccinated and I plan to celebrate by dining inside at Shabu Shabu!


That's great!
I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get the shot before I get the virus. 


franandaj said:


> The cookbook is well on it's way to completion. It's all written and now it's down to formatting the pages of the print version. Also still proofing the online version as well.


Can't wait. 


franandaj said:


> We are cleaning out the garage, and that is exhausting. So far we have given away a dryer, a generator (didn't work), a box of random cords, a pedestal, and some other minor things. We've also made several trips to the thrift store. We have rearranged one of our storage units so that we can put more of the garage stuff we want to keep in there, also exhausting.


Whoa. Yeah, you earned your exhaustion.


franandaj said:


> But the big news is this:
> 
> We're going to Disneyland!


I _thought_ you guys might go! Yay!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Correct. Some days should be just the puzzles.



Yeah, I wish!  Hey, I've taken the #1 spot on a couple puzzles lately and held it for a few days!  I seem to be best in the 35-63 piece range.  Still haven't quite mastered over 80 pieces and I don't even bother with any under 20 anymore. Just not worth my time.



pkondz said:


> Time flies when you're having fun!!!!
> 
> 
> Yeah... Longest year ever?



Except it did kind of fly by, I was busy almost every hour of every day (well except the time I spent in bed playing puzzles until 9 or 10 in the morning.



pkondz said:


> I think I see the difference. It's very subtle. Very.



And now it's getting back full again, and most of them are things like Disneyland and other dinners out!  



pkondz said:


> Makes sense. If they're a good tenant, they're probably responsible enough or disciplined enough to save for a condo/house.



Pretty much.



pkondz said:


> Well, if the shoe fits... and fits... and fits... and...



Yeah....  



pkondz said:


> I can't say if it helped either. But it obviously didn't _hurt_!



What is also interesting is the guy who lives in the apartment where the vexing lady was kicked out of used to always have to divide his checks into two. One we could case on "X" and the other on "Y" day.  Since then, only once has he had to do that and the rest of the time, the whole check is good from when he puts it in the box.



pkondz said:


> Score!
> 
> 
> I retract my "score" comment.



:laughing



pkondz said:


> mmmm... grilled cheese. The ultimate in comfort food?



We're going to be having that for dinner tonight.  Fran doesn't feel so good.  Probably all the excitement of the morning.



pkondz said:


> I don't think I've seen one of those before.



They're not terribly common. Not a lot of pieces have parts for them.



pkondz said:


> Interesting piece. I like turquoise, but don't have anything. Then again, I don't wear any jewelery.



Either does Fran, not sure why she has so much of it.  Investments?



pkondz said:


> Huh!! That's a pretty huge savings!



It's weird how shipping pricing is determined.



pkondz said:


> Awww... poor l'il Alison.



It's not normal for me to fall asleep in the middle of the day....



pkondz said:


> I am almost positive we talked about this. Unless you had other dental work.



Yes we did.  It bothered me for a while and I remember you being slightly shocked.



pkondz said:


> Sorry. That just strikes me as hilarious.



Which part? That I couldn't speak coherently about my newly listed property at 7AM or that he thought I would rent it between &AM and 9AM?



pkondz said:


> It certainly took this northern boy by surprise!
> I mean... I'd _heard_ of LA traffic. But experiencing it was a whole other thing.



I guess I've always grown up with traffic, just not quite as bad as LA.  However, I'm used to it and we just try not to drive during the bad hours, then again right now, it's still not bad.



pkondz said:


> I do that too, on road trips. In town the drives never last long enough to really get into the story. You can pretty much get from anywhere to anywhere else in our city in 30-45 minutes.



Well right now we don't drive much more than 20 minutes or so to any given destination, but we just keep the book going each time we start back up to where ever we are going.  Sometimes it gets to be a problem because Fran will totally drive past places where we need to turn cause she was listening to the book and not concentrating on where we are going.  It's especially a problem if I'm solving puzzles and not paying attention to where she is driving.



pkondz said:


> Oh!
> There was a show I used to watch called Shipping Wars. There were 4-5 people who'd bid on items to be shipped. Sometimes they were huge pieces, other times small. On occasion there was an animal. I've often thought that I should look for cats and dogs needing shipping along my route of travel.



Interesting.  Never heard of it.



pkondz said:


> Pun intended????



Actually no, didn't even think of it!



pkondz said:


> Ours too. (not 12th, but... )



Well this was the first year that we have been married longer than we were engaged.



pkondz said:


> Wow that looks good. Did you do it on your outdoor BBQ?



I don't remember, but I must have.  I can't get that kind of grill marks in a grill pan.    Come to think of it, I don't think that steak would fit in my grill pan.



pkondz said:


> Fran almost loves free?



Fran loves almost free! 



pkondz said:


> <sigh> Next time we're together, ask me about the squirrel at my parents'.



Deal....I'll put it on the list.  Wow!  That's the first thing to go on the list in a while.....



pkondz said:


> Must be eating something, then?



Oh yeah, she's feeing it cat food.  And then she wonders why it won't go in the trap to eat the food.  



pkondz said:


> Heh. Looks like my place sometimes when all three ladies start ordering.



Except that was outgoing!



pkondz said:


> Ah yes, I remember this.
> Yup. Remember that.



You have good memory!



pkondz said:


> And yet... it could pay for itself in the long run.



I guess, but $7K is still a lot of money!



pkondz said:


> Not surprised. Hanta virus.







pkondz said:


> Huh. Well... I guess that's a specialty.



Who would have known.....



pkondz said:


> I'm sure you weren't overly upset to see them go.
> 
> Wait. _Which_ individuals? The ones that called the cops or the ones the cops came for???



Well there is a fine line between the residents and the ones the cops came for. The residents called the cops, but I'm sure at one time the folks they called the cops on were pret-ty cozy, if you get my drift.....



pkondz said:


> Yup. Nothing much.



I sure hope this year is calmer!



pkondz said:


> Not overly surprising. Ah well. You don't know unless you try.



Yup, and I need to put a few more of them on the list to try, just get it over with and say yea or nay.  I really want more of the cheese and potato soup.  We ate the last bag of that one, and that was the ONE that she was supposed to order.


----------



## franandaj

SeptemberGirl said:


> Still reading the TR part, but I loved the life as it is now updates! Your cats are adorable - I write this with my two cats next to me.



Hopefully you have caught up by now, and hopefully I'll have new memories to share!



SeptemberGirl said:


> HM - so I have a DAS and went to WDW recently. They walked us in the exit, to the door that takes you right onto the ride. I am appalled that they didn't do this for Fran. I have never seen it done any other way than the one I mentioned - I wonder if the CMs were untrained and unfamiliar with the process. There is no way to walk that whole line and have it be accessible!



See that's what they have done in the past.  I don't understand why they couldn't do that this time!



SeptemberGirl said:


> The MK photos of you two were terrific!



Thanks!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Yay for the vaccine and yay for getting back to Disney!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Hey, I've taken the #1 spot on a couple puzzles lately and held it for a few days!


Good for you!


franandaj said:


> I seem to be best in the 35-63 piece range. Still haven't quite mastered over 80 pieces and I don't even bother with any under 20 anymore. Just not worth my time.


I vary. I definitely won't do 20 unless there's a detail that I want to see or something. But... too much effort for a puzzle that's done in a minute. I sometimes look for short ones, like your 35-63 range. Other times I want around 100-180. But not much more than that. I don't have that kind of time.


franandaj said:


> Except it did kind of fly by, I was busy almost every hour of every day (well except the time I spent in bed playing puzzles until 9 or 10 in the morning.





franandaj said:


> And now it's getting back full again, and most of them are things like Disneyland and other dinners out!





franandaj said:


> We're going to be having that for dinner tonight.


That's what I made!


franandaj said:


> Fran doesn't feel so good. Probably all the excitement of the morning.


 Sorry to hear that. Hope she feels better, quickly.


franandaj said:


> It's not normal for me to fall asleep in the middle of the day....


Me neither... unless I've worked the night shift, of course.


franandaj said:


> Well right now we don't drive much more than 20 minutes or so to any given destination, but we just keep the book going each time we start back up to where ever we are going. Sometimes it gets to be a problem because Fran will totally drive past places where we need to turn cause she was listening to the book and not concentrating on where we are going. It's especially a problem if I'm solving puzzles and not paying attention to where she is driving.



I can just see it... 
Alison looks up from her puzzle and shouts. "Fran! Stop!"
The car skids to a stop, throwing up sand from the tires as the car almost crashes into the water."
A man runs up. "Are you ladies all right?"
"I think so. That gave me quite a fright! I certainly wouldn't want to drive straight into the Pacific!" Alison replies.
The man stares for a second, then says. "Uh... ma'am? That's the _Atlantic _ocean."


franandaj said:


> Well this was the first year that we have been married longer than we were engaged.


Oh! Then even more special! 


franandaj said:


> Deal....I'll put it on the list. Wow! That's the first thing to go on the list in a while.....


I need to get back to telling you my wish list. 


franandaj said:


> Except that was outgoing!


Opposite here!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> You remember that we had a vacant apartment in the beginning of March?



Sounds familiar.  Glad you rented it!



franandaj said:


> Then Fran signed up for a Covid shot, I went along for moral support and whadda ya know, they poked me in the arm too! We got our second shots about 10 days ago so, this week we will be fully vaccinated and I plan to celebrate by dining inside at Shabu Shabu!



Excellent!  I'm glad you were able to get vaccinated.  One step closer to the end...



franandaj said:


> We are cleaning out the garage, and that is exhausting. So far we have given away a dryer, a generator (didn't work), a box of random cords, a pedestal, and some other minor things.



I wish that was all that was in my garage.  I think my kids have been using it as their personal trash can.



franandaj said:


> We're going to Disneyland!



Awesome!  Can't wait to hear about it!



franandaj said:


> So excited that Disney is part of those plans!



It's been such a long wait.  Hey, remember when I said we were looking at 2021 for Disneyland?


....maybe 2022 now.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Then Fran signed up for a Covid shot, I went along for moral support and whadda ya know, they poked me in the arm too! We got our second shots about 10 days ago so, this week we will be fully vaccinated and I plan to celebrate by dining inside at Shabu Shabu!



This is great!!! 


franandaj said:


> We are cleaning out the garage, and that is exhausting. So far we have given away a dryer, a generator (didn't work), a box of random cords, a pedestal, and some other minor things. We've also made several trips to the thrift store.



What a great feeling though to de-clutter and be free of some unneeded stuff. :yes:


franandaj said:


> We're going to Disneyland!


WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I"m so, so, so happy for you!! And I already saw some photos on FB, so know you did. Just so tickled for you.


----------



## franandaj

SeptemberGirl said:


> Riveria. We stayed here recently and I whole heartedly agree with you.



Nice to know I'm not the only one.



SeptemberGirl said:


> Topolino's. I've eaten here twice, once pre pandemic (February 2020) and once again. The first time it was exquisite. Like Palo level (nothing is Remy/V &A). But better than California Grill. I adored it. The food, the service, the wine list.



I wish it had been this top notch when we dined there.



SeptemberGirl said:


> The second time it was fine, but nothing special. The food was still good but the atmosphere was not the same, but I chalk that up to the Covid procedures. I would still try it again. Coincidentally, California Grill was also sub par initially after the re opening and now, the regular staff is back and it's wonderful again.



I would give Topolino's another chance....



SeptemberGirl said:


> The QS Primo Piatto - I wasn't impressed. Like you said, there was opportunity for other entrees. But, I guess they didn't want it to be too French or too Italian?



I think they ended up with too blah.



SeptemberGirl said:


> The bar La Riva - I actually liked the tables outside and the waitress service and the specialty drink. I found it charming and pleasant and it reminded me strongly of places I've been in Europe. The look, if not the food.



I would have liked to have made it here, but Fran isn't big on bars unless they are overly themed.



SeptemberGirl said:


> Le Petit Cafe - we found the coffee to be fine, and the pastries sub par. It just didn't feel like a European cafe in any way. And those are the best things ever! I mean, who doesn't want a delicious chocolate croissant to start the day?



No it didn't feel European in any way, but the day I got coffee, it was fine.



SeptemberGirl said:


> The pool areas - I thought the gelato at the pool was a cute touch. I didn't love the main pool, and the quiet pool was pretty, if bland. I found the hot tub crowded (in August) and wondered why they didn't install two, as in other deluxe/dvc resorts.



I never made it to the pool. Not sure if I even brought a bathing suit!



SeptemberGirl said:


> The common spaces - again, we found these mostly bland. The lobby wasn't interesting and it didn't draw you in. The art in one hallway was amazing! And we loved the art in the rooms. We also liked the gift shop, and I have been there on a few trips. Their art kiosk is really good! And it has different options than the one in Disney Springs. They also have nice resort themed merchandise.



I thought for the most part it was pretty bland. 



SeptemberGirl said:


> Transportation - I understand why they chose skyliners. it's innovative and it's definitely European. However, the need to wait in a huge line to transfer to get to DHS really turned me off. I was actually fairly annoyed at how the morning rush to Studios worked. And I don't get annoyed at crowds or procedures - this was ridiculous. They offered busing at Caribbean Beach - why am I paying Riveria prices if this perk doesn't get me to the park in a timely manner? This, above all else, really convinced us that we did not need to buy points there.



This bugged me the most! And I don't need to buy points anywhere but the new DVC at the Disneyland Hotel.



SeptemberGirl said:


> The rooms - we stayed in a studio and a one bedroom. I loved the rooms, I found them spacious and well thought out. The standard view is VERY standard, it makes the Boardwalk standard view look good. It's just too close to the parking lot and doesn't have the distance that the graceful sweep of the Boardwalk resort gives you. Nope, it's your window and a car.



The room was nice. I did enjoy being in there. The full sized washer and dryer was nice.



SeptemberGirl said:


> I agree that this resort needs a spa. I liked the murals but they aren't in a prominent enough place. This is no Grand, and its not even a Wilderness Lodge. It's just lacking something - it's as if they couldn't explain the theme well enough to themselves, and thus the resort is left with some blanks.



That's a good way to put it.



SeptemberGirl said:


> This looks AMAZING. I'm going to add it to the list for when we eventually can come back to California!



I can't wait for this place to reopen!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Sooooo much in your update, Alison and so much to comment on. You really made lemonade out of lemons and managed to stay busy and well fed!! All of your furbabies are so adorable.



Ha! I like the way you say "managed" to stay busy. I had no choice. I didn't mention how my life has been impacted by not having a house elf anymore.  



Steppesister said:


> You didn't tell me you were headed to my hometown!!  Funny! Growing up there, it never felt hot. I mean, I know it was, but it never felt like it. So, SO different now. Just sort of a ghetto/hood and that makes me very very sad.



I didn't even realize that we were headed to Hemet until a day or two before! She likes to spring these things on me!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> I think I remember some of these renos!



The one for our old place is the one you'd remember. All the other ones were done most likely before we met.



DnA2010 said:


> Geez..thanks eh!



Yeah, and she was not playing nicely with the other tenants either.



DnA2010 said:


> I think I remember you telling me about this...surgeons...



No fun at all.



DnA2010 said:


> I kinda see why, neat



It's a lot easier to play that the larger version.



DnA2010 said:


> it's always nice when things are going to a place where they will be appreciated



We sell so many things on eBay some it doesn't matter, but things like instruments we hope the person will appreciate them.



DnA2010 said:


> Ok this is something I've seen on tv/movies, but never tried...will have to rectify that some day



I'm not a huge fan of Matzo balls, but if they're there I'll eat them.



DnA2010 said:


> With a pair cats of course!



Actually there is a third one on my head.



DnA2010 said:


> Seriously dude?!



Not everyone gets up early!  



DnA2010 said:


> A bit weird, but when I read, I was like "this is totally Fran"



She is in so many weird FB groups!



DnA2010 said:


> Kittens!!!! Hey little guys!



They are still cute even though they are big now.



DnA2010 said:


> I will pick up extra again, in hopes that some day I will be able to give it to you...



Some day.... 



DnA2010 said:


> Dorian says this about me also...I love me free or almost free..



My mom never understood free. We used to love to go wine tasting when it was free. She was always like, "I can drink wine at home, why would I go out?"  I would tell her it was free, and she wouldn't get it.



DnA2010 said:


> These look like wontons to me?



Wontons are smaller and usually fried, unless they're in soup.



DnA2010 said:


> Twinning much!!



They are so cute, we call them the Orange Brigade.



DnA2010 said:


> I remember getting Pirate Booty at the DL Halloween party!



That seems like an odd treat for HP.



DnA2010 said:


> Hopefully you don't have to call on them too much!



Well we will see. Every couple years we would get the critters back. So hopefully we don't have to call anymore.



DnA2010 said:


> Not just mice hey...yikes



It's always been rats, and raccoons....



DnA2010 said:


> Let's hope so indeed..lifetime warrenty- good, but having to call them, bad...



Let's hope it's been all taken care of.



DnA2010 said:


> Oh boy I remember all this! Wine o'clock those days!



Seriously.



DnA2010 said:


> Whoa no wonder you got investigation, almost a 100% jump!



And finally this last month was normal, so whatever it was, it's fixed.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hi Alison! Just checking in to see how you guys are doing.



  We're doing pretty good. Especially since we have Disney plans in the future!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yeah...I liked being busy a lot better.



I was still busy, we just had no plans. But cooking, cleaning, and other such mundane chores kept me running ragged.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, you never know when you're going to need an extra coat hanger or another pair of shoes.



And look they're right there out back! 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Um...ok...



You don't believe in VooDoo witch doctor cleansing? 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Your house, your rules!



Exactly!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh good grief. That's quite the curveball.



You're telling me!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> If I had a dollar for every time I did that...







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, way to Macgyver yourselves out of that one.



Well we were actually being lazy. In the past we have built those boxes. However due to answering ads for free cardboard we had the wardrobe box and thought, "this is way easier than taping three boxes together!"





Captain_Oblivious said:


> So did the cats.



They take advantage of live human bodies that are not moving.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Woohoo!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> D'oh.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Woohoo!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Full marks for the name there.



Yes I thought that was quite cute.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow, nice deal. And happy anniversary!



Thanks!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh no! Hidden leaks are the worst.



I think it's finally solved and not even sure how.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Possums! Holy crap.
> 
> A raccoon! This house is going to be featured on Wild America.



Really, all we need is a skunk and coyote and we have the full spectrum of wildlife for the area.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You could write a book at this point.



Tell me about it.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh, good grief. Enough with the plumbing issues!



Thank goodness they are solved. At least for now.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


>



Good one! 



pkondz said:


> That's great!
> I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get the shot before I get the virus.



How are they rolling it out up there? In California now everyone 16 and older is eligible.



pkondz said:


> Can't wait.



I've been slowed down a bit, by trying to write a TR, now that we are going again.



pkondz said:


> Whoa. Yeah, you earned your exhaustion.



And again last night I was overcome with exhaustion, no idea why.



pkondz said:


> I _thought_ you guys might go! Yay!!



Yay! New TR coming up soon!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> How are they rolling it out up there? In California now everyone 16 and older is eligible.


Down to 57 and older in my province. Close (for me) but no cigar yet. 


franandaj said:


> And again last night I was overcome with exhaustion, no idea why.


Maybe because you’re tired. 


franandaj said:


> Yay! New TR coming up soon!


Woot!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Yay for the vaccine and yay for getting back to Disney!



I can't wait! Pretty soon we will be down to single digits!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I vary. I definitely won't do 20 unless there's a detail that I want to see or something. But... too much effort for a puzzle that's done in a minute. I sometimes look for short ones, like your 35-63 range. Other times I want around 100-180. But not much more than that. I don't have that kind of time.



I do the shorter ones in the car.  I hate having to pause the puzzle cause it adds a lot of time to the overall time.  When I'm watching the news in the morning, I'll do the larger ones like 88 to 120. Those usually take me 17 to 40 minutes.



pkondz said:


> Sorry to hear that. Hope she feels better, quickly.



It was just a one day thing.  She's pretty much better.



pkondz said:


> Me neither... unless I've worked the night shift, of course.



Yeah, I get that.  I never work the night shift!  



pkondz said:


> I can just see it...
> Alison looks up from her puzzle and shouts. "Fran! Stop!"
> The car skids to a stop, throwing up sand from the tires as the car almost crashes into the water."
> A man runs up. "Are you ladies all right?"
> "I think so. That gave me quite a fright! I certainly wouldn't want to drive straight into the Pacific!" Alison replies.
> The man stares for a second, then says. "Uh... ma'am? That's the _Atlantic _ocean."



Cute.....

No, it works more like this....

Alison looks up, "didn't you mean to turn on that street?"
Fran, "Sorry, I was listening to the book!"
Makes U-turn.
Alison resumes puzzling....looks up after finishing puzzle, "Where are you going?"
"Oh shoot!  I was listening to the book."
An hour later we turn off the book and arrive at our destination.



pkondz said:


> Oh! Then even more special!



Pretty much.



pkondz said:


> I need to get back to telling you my wish list.



I've got the document saved in my Google docs and I haven't pulled it up in a while.

BTW we did outdoor dining at Dale's a week or two ago, we had their world famous burgers and milkshakes!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sounds familiar. Glad you rented it!



Me too!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Excellent! I'm glad you were able to get vaccinated. One step closer to the end...



Yup. While I don't hold a ton of weight to it, Fran has given the go ahead for us to begin going out for dinner now that we are vaccinated, so I'm down with that. Plus Disney!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I wish that was all that was in my garage. I think my kids have been using it as their personal trash can.



Oh, that's not all that was in there, that's just the stuff we got rid of. The garage is still stacked to the ceiling and at least halfway full.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Awesome! Can't wait to hear about it!



Can't wait to experience it.  Even if it will be different!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> It's been such a long wait. Hey, remember when I said we were looking at 2021 for Disneyland?
> 
> 
> ....maybe 2022 now.



Probably better, they'll allow people from out of state by then.  We'll make it happen, and it will be awesome!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> This is great!!!



It's a big weight off of me to know that Fran has something else to help her against the virus.  Me, I don't normally get the flu shot, but I did it for her.



Steppesister said:


> What a great feeling though to de-clutter and be free of some unneeded stuff. :yes:



Well, I wouldn't say we are de-cluttered, however, there is a small walkway in our garage and some of the stuff we wanted to put in there is in place.



Steppesister said:


> WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I"m so, so, so happy for you!! And I already saw some photos on FB, so know you did. Just so tickled for you.



Well, haven't been yet, but Jenny is getting excited about having plans.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Down to 57 and older in my province. Close (for me) but no cigar yet.



So which will be first, lowering the age limit or your birthday....  I hope not the birthday!  



pkondz said:


> Maybe because you’re tired.







pkondz said:


> Woot!



Well, I'm all caught up on replies!  Now I just need to finish the first chapter!  Pics are all uploaded!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I hate having to pause the puzzle cause it adds a lot of time to the overall time.


Oh! I wasn't aware of that.


franandaj said:


> I'll do the larger ones like 88 to 120. Those usually take me 17 to 40 minutes.


That's probably around the time it takes me, too.


franandaj said:


> It was just a one day thing. She's pretty much better.


Good. 


franandaj said:


> Alison looks up, "didn't you mean to turn on that street?"
> Fran, "Sorry, I was listening to the book!"
> Makes U-turn.
> Alison resumes puzzling....looks up after finishing puzzle, "Where are you going?"
> "Oh shoot! I was listening to the book."
> An hour later we turn off the book and arrive at our destination.


... which was only 3 blocks away to begin with.




franandaj said:


> I've got the document saved in my Google docs and I haven't pulled it up in a while.


I wonder what's on there? Lord knows _I_ don't remember!


franandaj said:


> BTW we did outdoor dining at Dale's a week or two ago, we had their world famous burgers and milkshakes!


Nice. I made burgers here tonight. 


franandaj said:


> So which will be first, lowering the age limit or your birthday.... I hope not the birthday!


Lowering the age! My sister texted me that my mom had just yelled that the age went down. I quickly went online and booked. My first shot is on Thursday. 


franandaj said:


> Well, I'm all caught up on replies! Now I just need to finish the first chapter! Pics are all uploaded!


Yuss!


----------



## franandaj

OK Started the new TR....you can find it here

or For the First time in Forever


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> That's probably around the time it takes me, too.



Yeah, but you're doing the 100 to 180 piece puzzles.



pkondz said:


> ... which was only 3 blocks away to begin with.



Well in all honesty it takes about 10 blocks to even get out of our neighborhood. 



pkondz said:


> I wonder what's on there? Lord knows _I_ don't remember!



Get a peach pie at Polly's pies
Ride Space Mountain 
Burgers and Milkshakes at Dales
Get Oysters and Clam Chowder at King's with Liesa
Whoopie Pie
Eat something with Dates
Shabu Shabu
Visit Knead



pkondz said:


> Nice. I made burgers here tonight



We had Fettucine with spinach, bacon and three cheeses.



pkondz said:


> Lowering the age! My sister texted me that my mom had just yelled that the age went down. I quickly went online and booked. My first shot is on Thursday.



Yay!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, but you're doing the 100 to 180 piece puzzles.


No I meant the 80-120. About 15-20 minutes. 


franandaj said:


> Get a peach pie at Polly's pies
> Ride Space Mountain
> Burgers and Milkshakes at Dales
> Get Oysters and Clam Chowder at King's with Liesa
> Whoopie Pie
> Eat something with Dates
> Shabu Shabu
> Visit Knead


Well... don’t I feel all demand-y. 


franandaj said:


> We had Fettucine with spinach, bacon and three cheeses.


Not a spinach fan. But the rest sounds good.


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


> Then Fran signed up for a Covid shot, I went along for moral support and whadda ya know, they poked me in the arm too! We got our second shots about 10 days ago so, this week we will be fully vaccinated and I plan to celebrate by dining inside at Shabu Shabu!



Yay!! Not so patiently waiting up here...your Shabu looked sooo yummy!



franandaj said:


> The cookbook is well on it's way to completion.



Yay, you've put so much work into it!



franandaj said:


> Park reservations opened up this morning and I was able to snag a dozen different dates over the next two months including opening day!



 



franandaj said:


> I think I will be starting a new Trip Report on the DL boards



Ya you will!! Can't wait!




franandaj said:


> I'm not a huge fan of Matzo balls, but if they're there I'll eat them.



are they kinda like dumplings?



franandaj said:


> My mom never understood free. We used to love to go wine tasting when it was free. She was always like, "I can drink wine at home, why would I go out?" I would tell her it was free, and she wouldn't get it.



I don't think we experienced free much earlier on, but facebook, community events, wine tasting- lots more free out there now it feels like



franandaj said:


> Wontons are smaller and usually fried, unless they're in soup.




MMmmm my MIL makes the best fried wontons- sooo good!


----------



## SeptemberGirl

franandaj said:


> Hey folks!  Well it looks like I fell off the planet again for over a month, but a heck of a lot has been going on here!
> 
> You remember that we had a vacant apartment in the beginning of March?  Well about halfway through the month a tenant came along, and needed to sign papers either the day they got approved or couldn't do it for another week (based on work schedule). So we got it done with the promise that when they moved in (after her 5 days of 12 hour shifts) we would have the last bits of work done (smoke alarms, replacing light fixtures etc.)
> 
> Then Fran signed up for a Covid shot, I went along for moral support and whadda ya know, they poked me in the arm too! We got our second shots about 10 days ago so, this week we will be fully vaccinated and I plan to celebrate by dining inside at Shabu Shabu!
> 
> I'm not exactly sure what else has been keeping me busy, eBay is awful slow. The cookbook is well on it's way to completion. It's all written and now it's down to formatting the pages of the print version. Also still proofing the online version as well.  We are cleaning out the garage, and that is exhausting. So far we have given away a dryer, a generator (didn't work), a box of random cords, a pedestal, and some other minor things. We've also made several trips to the thrift store. We have rearranged one of our storage units so that we can put more of the garage stuff we want to keep in there, also exhausting.
> 
> But the big news is this:
> 
> We're going to Disneyland!
> 
> 
> Park reservations opened up this morning and I was able to snag a dozen different dates over the next two months including opening day!
> 
> I'll be back to reply to your posts, but I wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking, just busy as heck and trying to hang in there.  I think I will be starting a new Trip Report on the DL boards, so I will send a link to that when I get it up and running.  It might not be until after the weekend of the 1st since I've got big plans for that entire weekend!  So excited that Disney is part of those plans!
> 
> Anyways, just coming up for air and hope to be back for replies soon!




That is amazing!!! Woo!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Ha! I like the way you say "managed" to stay busy. I had no choice. I didn't mention how my life has been impacted by not having a house elf anymore.


I can only imagine!! I know a lot of folks are just super bored and have no idea what to fill their time with and just sit around all day and watch TV. 


franandaj said:


> I didn't even realize that we were headed to Hemet until a day or two before! She likes to spring these things on me!


I have gotten that feeling before. But keeps you on your toes!


----------



## orangecats2

I just read this report. I wanted to see how you liked Riveria. We're staying there for five nights in Feb. Followed by two nights at SSR. We don't own points so we rented for the first time. DH is a HUGE Star Wars fan so he wanted to stay some place he could hop on the Skyliner. I'll be renting a scooter for the first time. He wants to rent it at the parks and I want to have it at the resort. We'll have to see who wins that argument. 

Loved the kitty pics. We have a bunch of cats. Too many. 

I'm so glad I didn't have anything in my mouth when I saw the pic of Fran cutting the onions. Also I'm at work. Wouldn't want to explain why the keyboard was all wet. 

Any plans now to go back to WDW? I'm off to read your current TR.


----------

