7:30 AM - alarm wakes me up from a deep sleep, pleased to report no Lou Ferrigno sightings last night.
8:01 AM - The Process comes to a screeching halt as Tracey's hair dryer stops working. Panic ensues when she goes to the other bathroom only to find that the one provided by the resort doesn't work either!
Thankfully a full five-alarm emergency is prevented temporarily when she is able to get the resort dryer working. A trip to Target to replace her personal dryer has just been added to the itinerary.
9:05 AM - we arrive at Universal's parking structure and notice it doesn't seem too crazy busy so far. An illusion or good omen?
Not too big a crowd at the bag check either. Certainly it looks less nuts than our last trip where everything had at least a one hour lineup and they were closing off access to the entire Wizarding World of Harry Potter area because it hit capacity.
As we head into Islands of Adventure, we are greeted by a worker who asks if I don't mind answering a couple of questions. Sure no problem. By the time I answer about the 73rd question on their computer, I thought Tracey was going to lose it. We are both picturing getting shut out of WWOHP and standing in line 4 hours for Spider-Man. I'm expecting to see fists flying. Thankfully we avoid an international incident as the survey finally ends.
We double time it to the Spider Man ride, one of the best rides in Florida, which I have heard has been redone and improved! We get a shock when we get to the line and see it only says 50 minutes! Hang on, that's not 50, it's only FIVE!?!?! We walk right on, no waiting at all. STUNNING. The ride has much improved, and it was great to start with.
Over to WWOHP and I grab a couple of Butterbeers while Tracey hops into line for the main attraction. The lineup for this only says 30 minutes, which in Universal-Speak means 45, which is still pretty good. After that, and more Butterbeer, we wander down Diagon Alley and take in the sights before we decide we should head over to the other park and hit the good rides there too. Save us from coming back here later next week.
The first one is a brand new simulation ride based on the very funny movie Despicable Me. It's very much like the Simpsons Ride. Fun!!!
After hitting the other key attractions here, we are done and stop at the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch before heading back to the resort. Tracey announces she has become "five-theme-parks-in-four-days" tired. I agree. Sounds like a nap is in order.
It will be a couple years, maybe 3, before we are back here, which should give them enough time to finish the rather large expansion of the WWOHP area that has begun. Exciting!
5:15 PM - good nap. Tracey is up and we have dinner before hitting the lazy river for the evening. "Lazy" pretty much sums up how I'm feeling.
7:42 PM - I feel silly complaining about the temperature of a hot tub, but it was so hot it was impossible to sit in it for more than a couple minutes at a time. Beautiful scenery though.
A guy gets into the hot tub with the biggest man boobs I have ever seen. At one point the tub had about 15 people in it and his boobs were maybe 3rd or 4th biggest. He was the definitive candidate for a Manzere.
Friday, 8 March 2013
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Orlando, day 5
9:45 AM - nice little sleep in this morning. It's almost like I'm on vacation. Oh and please don't feel the need to point out that I'm on vacation from nothing. That's the way I like it.
10 AM - the wife stirs. I make some pancakes for breakfast while The Process commences.
11:28 AM - The Process has been ongoing long enough that now I'm having lunch while the final stages are underway. Tracey isn't hungry enough for lunch so I make her a sandwich to take to the park with us. Definitely the first time we've ever taken food into a Disney park but lots of people do it. Eating every single meal in a Park would bankrupt most EU nations. At least the ones who aren't already bankrupt.
12:15 PM - we arrive at Disney's Hollywood Studios and are pleased to find that nobody had left a dirty diaper in the tram. Sad that this is our new standard.
We get to hit the Tower of Terror (still the only ride that truly scares me), the Aerosmith Rock N Roller Coaster (twice), and Toy Story Midway Mania. The most important piece of information is that I wrestled back the title of Toy Story King from my wife who was 2-time defending champion. I beat her like the red headed stepchild that she is.
She didn't much appreciate my celebratory dances, but that's just being a sore loser, IMHO.
We also stumble upon Wreck-It-Ralph and Venelope Von Schweetz who are posing for pictures so we hop into that line. I actually forgot they were Disney characters. Very cool.
5:30 PM - we have reservations at Mama Melrose's Italian Ristorante at 6:10 but they are able to get s in early which is good as we are hungry. Dinner is excellent, and we have a wine flight of so-so Italian wines, and a carafe of Sangria, to ensure we leave the park happy, as if we weren't already happy.
7:55 PM - back from the park and its time to wind down and get some sleep before tomorrow's big day of Butterbeer. Park opens at 9AM which means that Tracey has to get up at around 2:15 to get ready.
10 AM - the wife stirs. I make some pancakes for breakfast while The Process commences.
11:28 AM - The Process has been ongoing long enough that now I'm having lunch while the final stages are underway. Tracey isn't hungry enough for lunch so I make her a sandwich to take to the park with us. Definitely the first time we've ever taken food into a Disney park but lots of people do it. Eating every single meal in a Park would bankrupt most EU nations. At least the ones who aren't already bankrupt.
12:15 PM - we arrive at Disney's Hollywood Studios and are pleased to find that nobody had left a dirty diaper in the tram. Sad that this is our new standard.
We get to hit the Tower of Terror (still the only ride that truly scares me), the Aerosmith Rock N Roller Coaster (twice), and Toy Story Midway Mania. The most important piece of information is that I wrestled back the title of Toy Story King from my wife who was 2-time defending champion. I beat her like the red headed stepchild that she is.
She didn't much appreciate my celebratory dances, but that's just being a sore loser, IMHO.
We also stumble upon Wreck-It-Ralph and Venelope Von Schweetz who are posing for pictures so we hop into that line. I actually forgot they were Disney characters. Very cool.
5:30 PM - we have reservations at Mama Melrose's Italian Ristorante at 6:10 but they are able to get s in early which is good as we are hungry. Dinner is excellent, and we have a wine flight of so-so Italian wines, and a carafe of Sangria, to ensure we leave the park happy, as if we weren't already happy.
7:55 PM - back from the park and its time to wind down and get some sleep before tomorrow's big day of Butterbeer. Park opens at 9AM which means that Tracey has to get up at around 2:15 to get ready.
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Orlando Day 4
7:30 AM - the alarm wakes me up just in time as I was dreaming I was about to have an unpleasant encounter with the Incredible Hulk. Lou Ferrigno's version. And he wasn't green, he was grey.
Paging Dr. Freud.
Anyway after a quick breakfast, we are off to Epcot.
8:50 AM - interesting day for weather today; not a cloud in the sky, but windy as Hell, which makes it really cold. We have to head straight to a store to get Tracey a sweater so she doesn't whine all day, er, I mean so she isn't cold all day. Even though the park just opened there is already a 30 minute wait for Soarin', but we have lots of time so we hop into the line. In true Disney fashion, the actual wait isn't anywhere as long as the posted time; it was maybe 20 minutes.
12:00 PM - After a few other attractions we arrive at the China pavilion. First things first, we knock another off the aforementioned "Princess list", getting pictures with Mulan. As far as I know this is the only place on any Disney property in North America that she appears.
After perusing the shops in the China area (and sampling a pineapple flavoured pop that reminded me of the good old days when Pineapple Crush was available), we head to the Nine Dragons restaurant for lunch. Last time we were in Disneyland we bought a Disney cookbook that featured a recipe for their Honey Sesame Chicken which I have made a few times, so we wanted to see what it was actually supposed to taste like. Not to toot my own horn, but mine tasted pretty damn close. It was excellent. Tracey also had some potstickers, I had a couple of egg rolls, and some Kung Pao Chicken. Everything was fabulous, I highly recommend this restaurant.
After lunch we head into Germany and try a couple of wine flights, one white and one red. The red weren't anything special. The whites were all Rieslings, and to nobody's surprise I preferred the sweetest of the three. Tracey actually preferred the middle one. Either way, none of them were as good as the German Resling we always get back home.
Since we are going to be back here at least one more time, maybe twice, we decide to call it a day and head back. Guaranteed the next time we are here the wind will be less intense and it will be more pleasant.
2:45 PM - Back at the resort to relax and just chill for a while. Not sure what the evening will bring; probably depends on the wind and the temperature.
6:30 PM - after dinner we decided to walk down to the local pool and hit the hot tub, only to find that it has been drained and is being cleaned. That's it, we are leaving this crappy resort!
OK perhaps that's a bit hasty. I suppose we could go to one of the other dozen hot tubs if we really wanted to, but we decided to just head back to our townhouse and chill for the night. Tomorrow we are headed to Hollywood Studios to partake in a few thrill rides and I can't be tired for that! Need to be at my most alert to kick my wife's ass at Toy Story Midway Mania!
12:00 PM - After a few other attractions we arrive at the China pavilion. First things first, we knock another off the aforementioned "Princess list", getting pictures with Mulan. As far as I know this is the only place on any Disney property in North America that she appears.
After perusing the shops in the China area (and sampling a pineapple flavoured pop that reminded me of the good old days when Pineapple Crush was available), we head to the Nine Dragons restaurant for lunch. Last time we were in Disneyland we bought a Disney cookbook that featured a recipe for their Honey Sesame Chicken which I have made a few times, so we wanted to see what it was actually supposed to taste like. Not to toot my own horn, but mine tasted pretty damn close. It was excellent. Tracey also had some potstickers, I had a couple of egg rolls, and some Kung Pao Chicken. Everything was fabulous, I highly recommend this restaurant.
After lunch we head into Germany and try a couple of wine flights, one white and one red. The red weren't anything special. The whites were all Rieslings, and to nobody's surprise I preferred the sweetest of the three. Tracey actually preferred the middle one. Either way, none of them were as good as the German Resling we always get back home.
Since we are going to be back here at least one more time, maybe twice, we decide to call it a day and head back. Guaranteed the next time we are here the wind will be less intense and it will be more pleasant.
2:45 PM - Back at the resort to relax and just chill for a while. Not sure what the evening will bring; probably depends on the wind and the temperature.
6:30 PM - after dinner we decided to walk down to the local pool and hit the hot tub, only to find that it has been drained and is being cleaned. That's it, we are leaving this crappy resort!
OK perhaps that's a bit hasty. I suppose we could go to one of the other dozen hot tubs if we really wanted to, but we decided to just head back to our townhouse and chill for the night. Tomorrow we are headed to Hollywood Studios to partake in a few thrill rides and I can't be tired for that! Need to be at my most alert to kick my wife's ass at Toy Story Midway Mania!
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Orlando Day 3
9:17 AM - feels good to sleep in a little. Yes I know it's only been a couple days and my body still thinks its 6:17 but just go with it.
I grab a pop and head out to the patio to enjoy the morning sun. I am immediately greeted by the cutest lizard you've ever seem, no bigger than my thumb. I'm waiting for him to try to save me 15% on my car insurance but I think he just wanted food. I showed him the sign and he looked up at me as if to say "hey idiot, do I LOOK like an alligator to you???" , and then he went on his way.
10:00 AM - Tracey is up and I'm making bacon and eggs for breakfast while she checks out the pictures from last night's amazing dinner. I tell her to hurry up and get ready to go because indeed some fun and frivolity today....because you know, yesterday wasn't any fun :)
11:30 AM - updating the blog while I wait for the conclusion of "the process". You can't rush perfection. Believe me, I've tried many times.
12:10 PM - off to the Magic Kingdom! It's a spectacular day today, high of 26, so the convertible top goes down and away we go.
12:45 PM - onto the Monorail and into the park. Not crazy busy today but busy enough to make sure my legs are bruised from having strollers rammed into me. I literally had to kick one away after the third time a guy rammed his double wide into my leg, without so much as a "sorry" or "excuse me".
I'm going to campaign for "Stroller land". All strollers are quarantined there. Once your kid is old enough to get out of the stroller, he/she can explore the rest of the park. For goodness sake, there are parents wheeling around 8 year olds in strollers. Memo to parents: if your 8 year old is too tired to walk, time to take them home.
Next time we come here I'm going to bring my knee brace and rent a wheelchair and see if the strollers still want to try to ram me :)
We have a wonderful day, and hit a bunch of key rides. Still lots to see, including everything in the New Fantasyland, but we have lots of time, we will be back at least twice this trip, probably 3 times.
5:10 PM - dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. One of the great things about DisneyWorld is the myriad of dining choices. There is no way to emphasize the difference between tonight's dinner and last night's. From the most upscale, finest-of-the-fine dining, to ultra casual (pretty sure a couple of the patrons weren't even wearing pants). From a 7-course, nearly 3 hour meal featuring 7 different wine pairings, to a sit-down-at-the-trough-and-see-how-much-comfort-food-you-can-consume-in-45-minutes adventure. From a meal beginning with an amuse-bouche, to a meal where most of the patrons couldn't pronounce amuse-bouche.
And both were wonderful in very different ways. The folks at the LTT sure know how to fill that trough! Great food, and slightly less expensive than last night's meal (and when I say that I mean, no exaggeration, it was 1/8th the price).
As we are leaving the park we notice that there are characters posing for pictures inside the Theatre, and one of them is Rapunzel. Time to cross one off my "Princesses we have no pictures of" list!
Something interesting happened, Rapunzel came (sort of) out of character! Tracey had mentioned that we were Canadian and Rapunzel asked us if we were from the real Canada or Epcot's Canada! Then she proceeded to talk to us about the fireworks show and her favourite things to do in the park. Definitely not something that the Characters would normally talk about.
We also got pics with Aurora and Cinderella, they were in the same area, and then we were done for the day.
When we get on the tram to go home, Tracey finds that someone decided to leave a dirty diaper on the tram. I am not kidding. I am well aware that this person is not likely reading this blog, bit I'm going to say this anyway: FUCK YOU, YOU IGNORANT PIECE OF GARBAGE. You are a waste of carbon. You are incorrect when you assume that the Disney cast members get paid to clean up your kid's shit. Next time if you feel the need to change your kid on the tram, maybe you could walk the 30 feet from the tram to one of the many garbage cans and dispose of the diaper? The rest of humanity would appreciate that, fucknuts.
8:15 PM - home from the park and off to the nearest pool. Sitting in the hot tub, staring up at the stars and the palm trees. I wonder aloud why we don't live here.
Oh yeah, the little matter of not being able to get jobs, 6 months of hurricane season, and alligators as wildlife. I knew there had to be a good reason.
8:45 PM - back from the pool and to bed. Going to hit Epcot first thing in the morning.
I grab a pop and head out to the patio to enjoy the morning sun. I am immediately greeted by the cutest lizard you've ever seem, no bigger than my thumb. I'm waiting for him to try to save me 15% on my car insurance but I think he just wanted food. I showed him the sign and he looked up at me as if to say "hey idiot, do I LOOK like an alligator to you???" , and then he went on his way.
10:00 AM - Tracey is up and I'm making bacon and eggs for breakfast while she checks out the pictures from last night's amazing dinner. I tell her to hurry up and get ready to go because indeed some fun and frivolity today....because you know, yesterday wasn't any fun :)
11:30 AM - updating the blog while I wait for the conclusion of "the process". You can't rush perfection. Believe me, I've tried many times.
12:10 PM - off to the Magic Kingdom! It's a spectacular day today, high of 26, so the convertible top goes down and away we go.
12:45 PM - onto the Monorail and into the park. Not crazy busy today but busy enough to make sure my legs are bruised from having strollers rammed into me. I literally had to kick one away after the third time a guy rammed his double wide into my leg, without so much as a "sorry" or "excuse me".
I'm going to campaign for "Stroller land". All strollers are quarantined there. Once your kid is old enough to get out of the stroller, he/she can explore the rest of the park. For goodness sake, there are parents wheeling around 8 year olds in strollers. Memo to parents: if your 8 year old is too tired to walk, time to take them home.
Next time we come here I'm going to bring my knee brace and rent a wheelchair and see if the strollers still want to try to ram me :)
We have a wonderful day, and hit a bunch of key rides. Still lots to see, including everything in the New Fantasyland, but we have lots of time, we will be back at least twice this trip, probably 3 times.
5:10 PM - dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. One of the great things about DisneyWorld is the myriad of dining choices. There is no way to emphasize the difference between tonight's dinner and last night's. From the most upscale, finest-of-the-fine dining, to ultra casual (pretty sure a couple of the patrons weren't even wearing pants). From a 7-course, nearly 3 hour meal featuring 7 different wine pairings, to a sit-down-at-the-trough-and-see-how-much-comfort-food-you-can-consume-in-45-minutes adventure. From a meal beginning with an amuse-bouche, to a meal where most of the patrons couldn't pronounce amuse-bouche.
And both were wonderful in very different ways. The folks at the LTT sure know how to fill that trough! Great food, and slightly less expensive than last night's meal (and when I say that I mean, no exaggeration, it was 1/8th the price).
As we are leaving the park we notice that there are characters posing for pictures inside the Theatre, and one of them is Rapunzel. Time to cross one off my "Princesses we have no pictures of" list!
Something interesting happened, Rapunzel came (sort of) out of character! Tracey had mentioned that we were Canadian and Rapunzel asked us if we were from the real Canada or Epcot's Canada! Then she proceeded to talk to us about the fireworks show and her favourite things to do in the park. Definitely not something that the Characters would normally talk about.
We also got pics with Aurora and Cinderella, they were in the same area, and then we were done for the day.
When we get on the tram to go home, Tracey finds that someone decided to leave a dirty diaper on the tram. I am not kidding. I am well aware that this person is not likely reading this blog, bit I'm going to say this anyway: FUCK YOU, YOU IGNORANT PIECE OF GARBAGE. You are a waste of carbon. You are incorrect when you assume that the Disney cast members get paid to clean up your kid's shit. Next time if you feel the need to change your kid on the tram, maybe you could walk the 30 feet from the tram to one of the many garbage cans and dispose of the diaper? The rest of humanity would appreciate that, fucknuts.
8:15 PM - home from the park and off to the nearest pool. Sitting in the hot tub, staring up at the stars and the palm trees. I wonder aloud why we don't live here.
Oh yeah, the little matter of not being able to get jobs, 6 months of hurricane season, and alligators as wildlife. I knew there had to be a good reason.
8:45 PM - back from the pool and to bed. Going to hit Epcot first thing in the morning.
Monday, 4 March 2013
Orlando, day 2
9:22 AM - I am awakened by a phone call. Recorded voice on the other line says this is a "very important call from Orange Lake resort" and someone would be with me shortly. I wait about 15 seconds and hang up, and leave the phone off the hook. That will be just about enough of that. Seriously what are they thinking waking up vacationers at 9:22 AM? Not to mention they know we just flew in from the West Coast so it really feels like 6:22 AM to us??????? Morons.
10:45 AM - After pancakes and French toast for breakfast, we are off to explore the resort. It has been just about four years since we last stayed here so our memories are a little cloudy. It's a beautiful day so we hop in the car ( yes this place is so big you have to drive to take a shuttle to get around) and put the top down. This is supposed to be the coldest day of the fortnight we are spending here but it's still warm enough for a convertible.
We walk to the closest pool to us which is only about 100 yards away. It's perfectly nice but it's just a pool and hot tub. The next pool complex is much bigger, with a huge pool, slide, and a bar and grill. All of the large pool complexes, four of them in total, have a full restaurant, or bar and grill, or both.
The next complex is the best, and features a couple nice hot tubs, huge pool and a lazy river. We are going to rent a cabana and spend a day here later this week. Gorgeous!!
We hit the fitness centre for a while ( going to make sure I don't gain more than 20 pounds while I'm here!!) and then head back to our townhouse for lunch.
We take our lunch out onto our private patio and I notice this sign:
That's a bird, a raccoon, and AN ALLIGATOR????? Are we seriously considering alligators as wildlife that we have to worry about feeding? Good grief. OK, OK I promise not to feed the alligators. Fucking rules.
1:45 PM - Tracey heads to the closest pool while I hang back to relax for a while before dinner.
5:15 PM - we arrive at the Grand Floridian, the site of our soon-to-be epic dinner. What a beautiful hotel!! Totally different than the Grand Californian, but just as nice, with a Victorian feel. Piano player in the lobby belting out an amazing version of "My Guitar Gently Weeps" as we peruse the gift shops. We will be staying here on our next visit for sure.
I will post more details, with pictures of the food, once I am home and can upload pics from my camera. It was, without a doubt, the best meal we have ever had. Stunning food, stunning service, a Harpist playing 7 feet away, and a special menu for waters of the world. You read that correctly. A separate menu for the water.
Everyone has heard of wine pairings with the courses, but this is the first time I've experienced a "bread progression ". Yes, different bread accompanying the various courses. Unreal.
And our car was waiting for us when we got downstairs, without us having to ask valet for it.
9:15 PM - Home from dinner, and I'm off to bed. Tracey is going to experience the whirlpool tub before bed. Tomorrow we hit the Magic Kingdom!!
10:45 AM - After pancakes and French toast for breakfast, we are off to explore the resort. It has been just about four years since we last stayed here so our memories are a little cloudy. It's a beautiful day so we hop in the car ( yes this place is so big you have to drive to take a shuttle to get around) and put the top down. This is supposed to be the coldest day of the fortnight we are spending here but it's still warm enough for a convertible.
We walk to the closest pool to us which is only about 100 yards away. It's perfectly nice but it's just a pool and hot tub. The next pool complex is much bigger, with a huge pool, slide, and a bar and grill. All of the large pool complexes, four of them in total, have a full restaurant, or bar and grill, or both.
The next complex is the best, and features a couple nice hot tubs, huge pool and a lazy river. We are going to rent a cabana and spend a day here later this week. Gorgeous!!
We hit the fitness centre for a while ( going to make sure I don't gain more than 20 pounds while I'm here!!) and then head back to our townhouse for lunch.
We take our lunch out onto our private patio and I notice this sign:
That's a bird, a raccoon, and AN ALLIGATOR????? Are we seriously considering alligators as wildlife that we have to worry about feeding? Good grief. OK, OK I promise not to feed the alligators. Fucking rules.
5:15 PM - we arrive at the Grand Floridian, the site of our soon-to-be epic dinner. What a beautiful hotel!! Totally different than the Grand Californian, but just as nice, with a Victorian feel. Piano player in the lobby belting out an amazing version of "My Guitar Gently Weeps" as we peruse the gift shops. We will be staying here on our next visit for sure.
I will post more details, with pictures of the food, once I am home and can upload pics from my camera. It was, without a doubt, the best meal we have ever had. Stunning food, stunning service, a Harpist playing 7 feet away, and a special menu for waters of the world. You read that correctly. A separate menu for the water.
Everyone has heard of wine pairings with the courses, but this is the first time I've experienced a "bread progression ". Yes, different bread accompanying the various courses. Unreal.
And our car was waiting for us when we got downstairs, without us having to ask valet for it.
9:15 PM - Home from dinner, and I'm off to bed. Tracey is going to experience the whirlpool tub before bed. Tomorrow we hit the Magic Kingdom!!
Sunday, 3 March 2013
It's WHAT time??
4:43 AM - Jesus it appears as if the plan to get ourselves on Eastern time worked a little quicker than expected! Our flight doesn't leave until 9:05 so I guess we are going to have a little time this morning. Too much time actually.
It was a bit chilly in the room last night so my lovely wife turned the heat up. Apparently she turned it to "broil" as its so hot in here I'm checking for fires. Pair that with the fact that those sleeping pills wear off after exactly 8 hours and here we are. My wife hasn't seen a time beginning with a 4 on a non-work day since, well, ever.
7:35 AM - at the airport, already had breakfast and are sitting at the gate. Still an hour before we are supposed to board. I guarantee when they call for the First Class passengers to board I am going to get up and Tracey is going to have to hold me back.
8:30 AM - we board right on time and take off a little early. I'll tell you, this IPad is the best travel aid EVER. Four and a half hours on a plane, in COACH nonetheless, and it went very quickly. I watched The Descendants, played some games, and we had arrived before I knew it. Possibly the best flight I've ever had in Coach.
On the plane was a little 2-year old girl from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, travelling with her family on her first flight, on her first Disney trip. Sounds great until you consider why she would qualify for a Wish. Two years old. Heartbreaking. I hope she has an amazing time. Maybe we will run into her in the park. It will be easy to recognize her by the 50 pink balloons they gave her!
4:45 - as we land they tell us to pick up our luggage at carousel number 3. We head down there only to find that the bags coming into that carousel are (according to the sign, anyway) from 2 flights from Sao Paolo or Rio de Janeiro. Since I'm pretty sure we didn't come from either of those places, I'm not that hopeful we are going to be getting our bags here. An announcement comes on the PA that tells us they are still going to be at number three. I'm skeptical, since the last time we came here we ended up with a lost bag. Of course that was on Delta, the World's Worst Airline. Alaska knows what they are doing, as our bags arrive promptly on carousel 3. The sign never does change.
Tracey points out that even though I brushed my teeth and took 2 extra strength Frisk mints, she can still smell the cayenne on my breath. 2-3 more mints do the trick. Of course now my mouth is numb. Fabulous.
6:30 PM - after waiting 20 minutes for our rental car because it was being washed, and driving a bit of a scenic route because I must have somehow missed a turn, we arrive at our resort. It's been 4 years since we stayed here and I had forgotten how big and beautiful it is. Looking forward to exploring tomorrow!
7:45 PM - off to dinner at Olive Garden! mmmmmmmmmm breadsticks!!
7:46 PM - Jesus Christ. Lineup out the door, so well settle for going across the street to Applebee's.
7:46:30 PM - don't even get out of the car, just drive through the parking lot and head down the street to someplace we've heard of that isn't lined up. It's 8pm on a Sunday night, doesn't anyone in this town work tomorrow??????
We find TGI Friday's. Long story short, another crappy meal. My Cajun shrimp were bland. They should have borrowed some of the cayenne from last night's meal. Potato skins also bland. The Jack Daniels shrimp tasted OK but were overcooked and rubbery. Best thing I was served was, no lie, steamed broccoli. STEAMED BROCCOLI!!!
Tracey's meal was better than mine but only marginally. Definitely wont be back there.
11:00 PM - Back at the resort after picking up our groceries at Super Target. Target rules. Looking forward to our Target opening in Chilliwack later this year. Noticed that the Flames beat the Canucks
tonight, that means I don't have to whine or pout and I'll sleep like a baby. :)
It was a bit chilly in the room last night so my lovely wife turned the heat up. Apparently she turned it to "broil" as its so hot in here I'm checking for fires. Pair that with the fact that those sleeping pills wear off after exactly 8 hours and here we are. My wife hasn't seen a time beginning with a 4 on a non-work day since, well, ever.
7:35 AM - at the airport, already had breakfast and are sitting at the gate. Still an hour before we are supposed to board. I guarantee when they call for the First Class passengers to board I am going to get up and Tracey is going to have to hold me back.
8:30 AM - we board right on time and take off a little early. I'll tell you, this IPad is the best travel aid EVER. Four and a half hours on a plane, in COACH nonetheless, and it went very quickly. I watched The Descendants, played some games, and we had arrived before I knew it. Possibly the best flight I've ever had in Coach.
On the plane was a little 2-year old girl from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, travelling with her family on her first flight, on her first Disney trip. Sounds great until you consider why she would qualify for a Wish. Two years old. Heartbreaking. I hope she has an amazing time. Maybe we will run into her in the park. It will be easy to recognize her by the 50 pink balloons they gave her!
4:45 - as we land they tell us to pick up our luggage at carousel number 3. We head down there only to find that the bags coming into that carousel are (according to the sign, anyway) from 2 flights from Sao Paolo or Rio de Janeiro. Since I'm pretty sure we didn't come from either of those places, I'm not that hopeful we are going to be getting our bags here. An announcement comes on the PA that tells us they are still going to be at number three. I'm skeptical, since the last time we came here we ended up with a lost bag. Of course that was on Delta, the World's Worst Airline. Alaska knows what they are doing, as our bags arrive promptly on carousel 3. The sign never does change.
Tracey points out that even though I brushed my teeth and took 2 extra strength Frisk mints, she can still smell the cayenne on my breath. 2-3 more mints do the trick. Of course now my mouth is numb. Fabulous.
6:30 PM - after waiting 20 minutes for our rental car because it was being washed, and driving a bit of a scenic route because I must have somehow missed a turn, we arrive at our resort. It's been 4 years since we stayed here and I had forgotten how big and beautiful it is. Looking forward to exploring tomorrow!
7:45 PM - off to dinner at Olive Garden! mmmmmmmmmm breadsticks!!
7:46 PM - Jesus Christ. Lineup out the door, so well settle for going across the street to Applebee's.
7:46:30 PM - don't even get out of the car, just drive through the parking lot and head down the street to someplace we've heard of that isn't lined up. It's 8pm on a Sunday night, doesn't anyone in this town work tomorrow??????
We find TGI Friday's. Long story short, another crappy meal. My Cajun shrimp were bland. They should have borrowed some of the cayenne from last night's meal. Potato skins also bland. The Jack Daniels shrimp tasted OK but were overcooked and rubbery. Best thing I was served was, no lie, steamed broccoli. STEAMED BROCCOLI!!!
Tracey's meal was better than mine but only marginally. Definitely wont be back there.
11:00 PM - Back at the resort after picking up our groceries at Super Target. Target rules. Looking forward to our Target opening in Chilliwack later this year. Noticed that the Flames beat the Canucks
tonight, that means I don't have to whine or pout and I'll sleep like a baby. :)
Saturday, 2 March 2013
We're off to see the Wizard.....
...no, we aren't heading to Oz (although how cool would THAT be?), but we begin our journey today to Orlando, where there will be lots of wizards and muggles at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Oh, and this little theme park(s) called Disney World as well. Our flight leaves at 9:05AM tomorrow morning, from Sea-Tac, so we are on our way to Seattle this afternoon. We are staying at the Red Lion Inn, a perfectly comfortable-but-cheap hotel, which also includes parking for the car for the two weeks. Anything to avoid paying SeaTac's parking rates. We'd need to take out another mortgage to afford those.
So, I present to you:
Orlando Vacation Blog 3: The Return of the King
Presented to you in Mind-Blowing 3-D!
This is our third trip to Orlando, but the first time we've been able to procure direct flights so that's exciting......it's bad enough I have to spend 5.5 hours on a plane without also having to get off that plane, spend a couple hours in another airport, and get on another plane. Faithful readers may also recall that our last trip home from Orlando included stops in Atlanta (sleeping in the airport overnight), Cincinnati and Minneapolis, all due to us missing our connection in Atlanta due to weather. Fun times.
We know that we are flying First Class on the way home, as that was all that was actually available, but we are scheduled to fly Coach on the way down (oh, the horror!!), so we're hoping for an upgrade. I will check us in online in about an hour and hopefully they will have some FC upgrades available. We'll see. I haven't actually flown Coach in a long time, probably since the last Orlando trip, and I'd just as soon not have to go back to that at this point!
Monday night we are starting the trip off in style, at the only Five Diamond restaurant in all of Florida, Victoria & Albert's, which is in the Grand Floridian Hotel. Personalized menus (in fact they phoned yesterday to ask about dietary restrictions, etc), a waiter for each of us, and best of all, NO FREAKING KIDS!! That's right, this restaurant doesn't allow anyone under 12! Love it!!!!!! Wish that Disney had more spots like that but this is a good start.
No luck on the upgrade unfortunately, we will have to actually fly Coach. Barf.
Leg 1 of the trip is over, we have arrived in Seattle. Had a very mediocre lunch at Bob's and we are planning on having dinner at the hotel restaurant so I'm not very hopeful that it will be much better. Oh well, many good meals await us for the next two weeks!
I wasn't wrong about dinner. We figured we would order something they couldn't screw up, so we started with nachos. They were perfectly fine, if unspectacular. Tracey had meatloaf for her main course which was just average. I ordered Cajun chicken fettuccini, and it was the spiciest thing I have ever eaten. I had about three bites and sent it back. They must have dumped a whole bottle of cayenne in that mofo. Awful. Tracey said it was the first time she had ever seen me sweat while eating. Gross.
Back up to the room, going to take a sleeping pill and get to bed early. It is already 10:30 PM in Orlando so we might as well try to get acclimated as soon as possible and lessen the jet lag!
So, I present to you:
Orlando Vacation Blog 3: The Return of the King
Presented to you in Mind-Blowing 3-D!
This is our third trip to Orlando, but the first time we've been able to procure direct flights so that's exciting......it's bad enough I have to spend 5.5 hours on a plane without also having to get off that plane, spend a couple hours in another airport, and get on another plane. Faithful readers may also recall that our last trip home from Orlando included stops in Atlanta (sleeping in the airport overnight), Cincinnati and Minneapolis, all due to us missing our connection in Atlanta due to weather. Fun times.
We know that we are flying First Class on the way home, as that was all that was actually available, but we are scheduled to fly Coach on the way down (oh, the horror!!), so we're hoping for an upgrade. I will check us in online in about an hour and hopefully they will have some FC upgrades available. We'll see. I haven't actually flown Coach in a long time, probably since the last Orlando trip, and I'd just as soon not have to go back to that at this point!
Monday night we are starting the trip off in style, at the only Five Diamond restaurant in all of Florida, Victoria & Albert's, which is in the Grand Floridian Hotel. Personalized menus (in fact they phoned yesterday to ask about dietary restrictions, etc), a waiter for each of us, and best of all, NO FREAKING KIDS!! That's right, this restaurant doesn't allow anyone under 12! Love it!!!!!! Wish that Disney had more spots like that but this is a good start.
No luck on the upgrade unfortunately, we will have to actually fly Coach. Barf.
Leg 1 of the trip is over, we have arrived in Seattle. Had a very mediocre lunch at Bob's and we are planning on having dinner at the hotel restaurant so I'm not very hopeful that it will be much better. Oh well, many good meals await us for the next two weeks!
I wasn't wrong about dinner. We figured we would order something they couldn't screw up, so we started with nachos. They were perfectly fine, if unspectacular. Tracey had meatloaf for her main course which was just average. I ordered Cajun chicken fettuccini, and it was the spiciest thing I have ever eaten. I had about three bites and sent it back. They must have dumped a whole bottle of cayenne in that mofo. Awful. Tracey said it was the first time she had ever seen me sweat while eating. Gross.
Back up to the room, going to take a sleeping pill and get to bed early. It is already 10:30 PM in Orlando so we might as well try to get acclimated as soon as possible and lessen the jet lag!
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