So, we travel to Atlantic City, NJ a fair amount. Sure, it isn't the best "family" vacation, but there's a beach and places to see and we have fun.
Well, this trip didn't start out great, as we had a late start leaving home Friday night, plus the weather was horrible. There was an accident in Delaware a few miles past the tollbooth (which we bypass anyway), and when we were coming up 896 back on to I-95, they weren't letting anyone get on Northbound. I should have made a left onto Old Baltimore Pike, but I wasn't familiar with it, so I drove all the way down to Route 40 and took that all the way to I-295.
We didn't get to Resorts until around 1:30 AM. I did call before we left, saying we were going to be checking in late, although I said around midnight, but fortunately they still had a room for us (I've only experienced one time where a reservation was cancelled). I guess unfortunately, the only thing they could give us with two beds, non-smoking, was an accessible room, and since I really had no choice, it would have to do. The clerk did say he could put in a room change for us the next morning, which I said would be fine. I had seen rooms that had a king bed with a couch and requested that, but all he could do was two beds, fine again.
We were in Room 227, which had a lovely view of an air conditioner unit and not much else. I guess it was fortunately that we were only in that room for a few hours anyway. I did have to go down to the casino floor to get $40 in freeplay, which I turned into $50 and then lost in another machines.
The bathroom had a true roll-in shower, usually there is a little bump to keep water in, but this one had a totally flat floor. I was puzzled as to where to put the bathmat. We slept in late and I called down around 12:30, our new room was ready, 1124. I went down and got the keys and we moved on up. The room is on the top main floor, so it had a pretty nice view. And the bathroom had been remodeled, I hadn't seen this in any of the other rooms I had stayed in. It had a better shower head and glass wall and door instead of a shower curtain. The door did not go all the way across the bath rail, similar to what I experience at Golden Nugget in Atlantic City.
After moving, we headed down to Breadsticks, the coffee shop there. We always have a good meal there, and the cashier remembered us from when we were there three weeks ago. After lunch, we went to the pool, where I noticed that they had opened the roof all the way, the first time I'd seen that as well. It was a nice sunny day, although it was still a bit breezy.
After we left, Tessandra went down for a nap and Cath was going to take a shower. I noticed there were only three towels and after I took my shower, I called down for more. It took about an hour (and me calling again after 30 minutes) to get the towels.
I went down to the casino and I had $50 in freeplay, which I lost, then I lost a bit more and more. Bob was heading home, so he said he'd meet us for dinner. After Tessandra got up, we went down to the beach and walked from Resorts to Showboat on the beach. It was a nice walk, except for walking under the Steel Pier.
We were going to go to the buffet at Showboat, but by the time we got there, it was closing in 5 minutes and the hostess said it was going to take them about an hour to seat the people who already paid and were waiting. After looking at the menu for Crossroads, we headed over to Trump Taj Mahal and ate at Plate. Plate is another restaurant we like, although, like most places in the casinos, the prices are a bit high.
We went back to the room and I said good night to Tessandra and Bob and I headed down to the casino. We had a brutal session, where I think between us, we only hit 3 or 5 quads (on BP), although we both hit bonus quads. Bob headed home and I played a little bit longer. I didn't do well, but I hit a bonus game on Dean Martin's Wild Party for $170 (on a 60c bet), plus I cashed out a win for around $100 on the Winner Winner Chicken Dinner slot, didn't recover the earlier losses, but it was something.
Sunday I had a reservation for Sunday Brunch at Capriccio. We first ate there over Memorial Day weekend and it was packed. I recall the hostess then saying that Father's Day wasn't as busy, but it seemed to be just as busy. They did move the hostess stand from just outside the dining area (in the bar area, where they have some of their food stations), to outside the bar area, which really kept that area clear (which was an issue with people getting food). The hostess remembered us from last time and a man I guess was the General Manager thanked us. Although they don't serve crab legs, the buffet is pretty good, and at $44.99, it is a bit lower than the other Sunday Brunches we've had in Atlantic City.
I know some people dislike Resorts for various reasons (some of them pretty legitimate), but I like it. A majority of the people we encounter there are very nice and always pretty helpful and friendly. The Ocean Tower rooms aren't great, the floor plan makes it unclear if you're getting a decent sized room or a small room. The Rendezvous Tower rooms are quite spacious (the bathrooms are very spacious), although they just have showers. They have enough decent VP and they keep sending me offers so I'll continue to come back. With the Caesars properties squeezing me out of rooms, right now my only weekend options are Trump Taj Mahal and Resorts, although I hear I could give Tropicana a try, the room we had last time I stayed there wasn't too great and the pool isn't too large.
We headed back home after brunch and had a very nice drive home. We'll be heading back up for July 4, although we'll be staying at Trump Taj Mahal that trip. Then on July 23 I'll be heading to Vegas!
Monday, June 23, 2014
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Day 5: Star Wars Weekend at Walt Disney World: May 29 - June 2
Our last day, where did the time go?
We headed over to HS for our Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater character meal. When we arrived, we got a picture with Darth Vader and Boba Fett. We got a card for those photos, but I forgot the card on the table when we left (along with the lightsaber swizzle stick we got with the drinks Bob bought last night *sad face*). We had a good breakfast while they ran some Star Wars clips while stormtroopers, jawas, and Greedo came around for photo ops. We rode Star Tours one last time and I did get a slightly different trip this time (the last trip was the same as the previous one).
We went back to the room, packed up and checked out and headed over to the TTC at MK.
We rode the Mine Train ride again with a very short wait. He thought we missed our Be Our Guest lunch reservation, but we did have lunch there.
We closed out our Disney trip by seeing PhilharMagic.
We were a bit pressed for time getting back to the airport, but still managed to get to the gate before boarding. My flight was fuller, but I still had an empty middle seat. I just missed a rail shuttle to the station and the next bus took longer, so I wasn't able to take an earlier Amtrak train to New Carrollton and had to take the last MARC train. Got to New Carrollton Metro around 10:00 PM and got back to Vienna around 11:15 PM. Cath (my wife) and Tessandra (my daughter) were waiting at the gate for me. I could bearly hear her calling, "Daddy, daddy!" because I got sick on Sunday night and during the flight my right ear closed and did not reopen. It took a while for it to open up later that night.
*******
Random musings:
Here are links to photos from the trip: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154254803275232.1073741855.813685231&type=1&l=0a0598aaca
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10202294617302623.1073741847.1106945301&type=1&l=0da9efefc4
Okay, I was a bit unprepared for the heat and humidity. I thought I was packing "heavy" with a few extra shirts, but it turns out that I wore everything I brought, considering that we showered in the middle of each day and I wore two shirts a day. In future "summer" trips, I'll be sure to plan to wear at least two shirts a day. This is probably not going to be the case when we go in December, when it will be cooler.
Planning a break in the middle of the day was a good idea and will be something we implement for our trip in December. It may be a bit logistically more difficult, but it was a nice chance to rest and recover.
I did get a blister on my little toe, mostly because of the odd shape of that toe.
I did get sick, which I think was due to the fact that I probably did not hydrate enough. Also, I probably could have used some sunscreen.
Bob did a good job planning the trip. I know he tried to incorporate seeing the SWW things and also see the parks to get a feel for what we'd do in December. Hopefully he can do the same for us in December.
We headed over to HS for our Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater character meal. When we arrived, we got a picture with Darth Vader and Boba Fett. We got a card for those photos, but I forgot the card on the table when we left (along with the lightsaber swizzle stick we got with the drinks Bob bought last night *sad face*). We had a good breakfast while they ran some Star Wars clips while stormtroopers, jawas, and Greedo came around for photo ops. We rode Star Tours one last time and I did get a slightly different trip this time (the last trip was the same as the previous one).
We went back to the room, packed up and checked out and headed over to the TTC at MK.
We rode the Mine Train ride again with a very short wait. He thought we missed our Be Our Guest lunch reservation, but we did have lunch there.
We closed out our Disney trip by seeing PhilharMagic.
We were a bit pressed for time getting back to the airport, but still managed to get to the gate before boarding. My flight was fuller, but I still had an empty middle seat. I just missed a rail shuttle to the station and the next bus took longer, so I wasn't able to take an earlier Amtrak train to New Carrollton and had to take the last MARC train. Got to New Carrollton Metro around 10:00 PM and got back to Vienna around 11:15 PM. Cath (my wife) and Tessandra (my daughter) were waiting at the gate for me. I could bearly hear her calling, "Daddy, daddy!" because I got sick on Sunday night and during the flight my right ear closed and did not reopen. It took a while for it to open up later that night.
*******
Random musings:
Here are links to photos from the trip: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154254803275232.1073741855.813685231&type=1&l=0a0598aaca
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10202294617302623.1073741847.1106945301&type=1&l=0da9efefc4
Okay, I was a bit unprepared for the heat and humidity. I thought I was packing "heavy" with a few extra shirts, but it turns out that I wore everything I brought, considering that we showered in the middle of each day and I wore two shirts a day. In future "summer" trips, I'll be sure to plan to wear at least two shirts a day. This is probably not going to be the case when we go in December, when it will be cooler.
Planning a break in the middle of the day was a good idea and will be something we implement for our trip in December. It may be a bit logistically more difficult, but it was a nice chance to rest and recover.
I did get a blister on my little toe, mostly because of the odd shape of that toe.
I did get sick, which I think was due to the fact that I probably did not hydrate enough. Also, I probably could have used some sunscreen.
Bob did a good job planning the trip. I know he tried to incorporate seeing the SWW things and also see the parks to get a feel for what we'd do in December. Hopefully he can do the same for us in December.
Day 4: Star Wars Weekend at Walt Disney World: May 29 - June 2
So, originally we were going to AK today, but we went back to HS. After a slight disagreement with the cast member directly people from the parking area, we went to the Great Movie Ride and then the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, which I recall seeing years ago. Still always a treat. We then went to the Muppet*Vision 3-D movie, which was nice.
We had lunch at the ABC Commissary and headed back to CBR via bus for a break.
We took the bus to MK (although we missed a bus because it had rained and there were some big puddles and Bob walked through one, then went back to the room to change his shoes) and rode Space Mountain and the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride. It was nice, but not something I'd wait a long time for. We had dinner at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and then did Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and then the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. We took a bus back to HS to catch the firework show there. Before leaving, we stopped by a gift shop near Princess Fairytale Hall and I was able to pick up an Anna and Elsa doll.
We stopped by Custom House to settle up our bill (with more gift cards) and I was feeling a bit hungry, so we went by Old Port Royale and picked up a pizza, which Bob used a partially used GC and ended up having 17c left over.
We watched overtime of Game 7 between the Hawks and Kings and I dozed off afterwards for a short time.
We had lunch at the ABC Commissary and headed back to CBR via bus for a break.
We took the bus to MK (although we missed a bus because it had rained and there were some big puddles and Bob walked through one, then went back to the room to change his shoes) and rode Space Mountain and the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride. It was nice, but not something I'd wait a long time for. We had dinner at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe and then did Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and then the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. We took a bus back to HS to catch the firework show there. Before leaving, we stopped by a gift shop near Princess Fairytale Hall and I was able to pick up an Anna and Elsa doll.
We stopped by Custom House to settle up our bill (with more gift cards) and I was feeling a bit hungry, so we went by Old Port Royale and picked up a pizza, which Bob used a partially used GC and ended up having 17c left over.
We watched overtime of Game 7 between the Hawks and Kings and I dozed off afterwards for a short time.
Day 3: Star Wars Weekend at Walt Disney World: May 29 - June 2
So, we called an audible for today.
We were going to go to HS in the morning, but we changed to Animal Kingdom. We got a little later start than the previous day and got to AK after they opened, which didn't seem to be terrible, although I guess if we got there earlier, the lines would have been shorter.
We went to the Dinosaur and then over to Everest, which had quite a bit of a wait. We then went on the Kilimanjaro Safari, which was nice, we saw quite a few animals, which from what I understand is hit or miss. We went to lunch at the Flame Tree Barbecue and then headed back to CBR.
After another quick pool break and showering off, we picked up Heidi and headed to Epcot, we had FPP for Soarin, which was pretty cool and Mission: Space, which was nice as well. We did the Orange experience, which was the more intense one. I was fine, but Heidi said she might be a little tipsy afterwards for a while. While it was raining, we quickly rode Living with the Land. We originally had reservations at Le Cellier, but we cancelled the previous night and were trying for some fish and chips in the UK, but there were lines. We were thinking Italian and were going for pizza, but the Tutto Gusto had seating availability, so we went there. Bob and I got a beer flight while Heidi got a sangria. Bob and Heidi got the meatball parmigiana, while I got the ravioli di ricotta. Everything we got was very good.
We had to hurry to get to MK in time for the fireworks (and the Celebrate the Magic show beforehand). We stopped in Norway because Heidi thought there should be some Frozen souvenirs there (which Bob was telling me that there were none to be found). They had some t-shirts (Elsa and Olaf), so I picked up an Elsa one for my daughter.
We hurried over to MK and the Transportation & Ticket Center (TTC) to get to MK. We missed most of the Celebrate the Magic show, but got a pretty good spot for the fireworks show. We looked for things to do afterwards and ended up at the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. The show was pretty good and "someone" in our party ended up being "That Guy". We then went to the Haunted Mansion and the Jungle Ride and then over to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
We ended our night at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor Hosted by Edy's. I got a root beer float, which was surprisingly warm, I was hoping for it to be ice cold.
We headed back to CBR, dropped Heidi off at her room and said our goodbyes, we wouldn't be seeing her tomorrow as she was heading home.
We were going to go to HS in the morning, but we changed to Animal Kingdom. We got a little later start than the previous day and got to AK after they opened, which didn't seem to be terrible, although I guess if we got there earlier, the lines would have been shorter.
We went to the Dinosaur and then over to Everest, which had quite a bit of a wait. We then went on the Kilimanjaro Safari, which was nice, we saw quite a few animals, which from what I understand is hit or miss. We went to lunch at the Flame Tree Barbecue and then headed back to CBR.
After another quick pool break and showering off, we picked up Heidi and headed to Epcot, we had FPP for Soarin, which was pretty cool and Mission: Space, which was nice as well. We did the Orange experience, which was the more intense one. I was fine, but Heidi said she might be a little tipsy afterwards for a while. While it was raining, we quickly rode Living with the Land. We originally had reservations at Le Cellier, but we cancelled the previous night and were trying for some fish and chips in the UK, but there were lines. We were thinking Italian and were going for pizza, but the Tutto Gusto had seating availability, so we went there. Bob and I got a beer flight while Heidi got a sangria. Bob and Heidi got the meatball parmigiana, while I got the ravioli di ricotta. Everything we got was very good.
We had to hurry to get to MK in time for the fireworks (and the Celebrate the Magic show beforehand). We stopped in Norway because Heidi thought there should be some Frozen souvenirs there (which Bob was telling me that there were none to be found). They had some t-shirts (Elsa and Olaf), so I picked up an Elsa one for my daughter.
We hurried over to MK and the Transportation & Ticket Center (TTC) to get to MK. We missed most of the Celebrate the Magic show, but got a pretty good spot for the fireworks show. We looked for things to do afterwards and ended up at the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. The show was pretty good and "someone" in our party ended up being "That Guy". We then went to the Haunted Mansion and the Jungle Ride and then over to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
We ended our night at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor Hosted by Edy's. I got a root beer float, which was surprisingly warm, I was hoping for it to be ice cold.
We headed back to CBR, dropped Heidi off at her room and said our goodbyes, we wouldn't be seeing her tomorrow as she was heading home.
Day 2: Star Wars Weekend at Walt Disney World: May 29 - June 2
We had an early morning as we were getting to Hollywood Studios for the "rope drop". I don't think we got there as early as Bob wanted, but we were still there before the opened the park.
When they opened the park, we headed right to Toy Story and got on with a short wait. I managed to put up a higher score than Bob on my first try, granted I didn't totally know what I was doing. I'll clean up the order later, we waited in a short line to get our picture taken with Darth Vader, and then rode the Rock n Roller coaster and had a FPP for Tower of Terror, which I wasn't totally impressed with, and also the Star Tours ride.
We headed back to the main area to check in for our "Feel the Force" premium package, which gave us a "premium" spot to see the parade in the morning and then the stage and fireworks show in the evening (along with refreshments in the morning and desserts and refreshments in the evening). While I was waiting in the line to get in, Bob picked up lunch at Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. He got himself a hot dog pretzel and I got a pork shank (we got free soda, water, and a frozen treat in the VIP area).
The parade was nice, there were the Disney characters in Star Wars costumes (Mickey - Jedi, Minnie - Princess Leia, Goofy - Darth Vader, Donald Duck - Stormtrooper, Chip and Dale - Ewoks). There were also people dressed as other Star Wars characters (but no Han Solo).
We waited in a line to get a picture of either Luke, Leia, and/or C3PO, but by luck of the draw, it was just Leia.
We had a break incorporated into our schedule, so not to lose our "prime" parking space, we took the bus back to CBR. We got off at the Old Port Royale area to pick up towels and walked back to Martinique. The "feature" pool at Old Port Royale was a bit crowded, but the Martinique pool was not, but we discovered that the pool at Barbados was closer, so we went there. It was a nice mid-day break.
We showered off and headed back to HS to get back for the Visit to the Maul appearance with Ray Park. We thought we were too late, but we managed to get there as they were letting people in, although we were on the wrong side of where they blocked the entrance. After speaking with a cast member, they let us cut across the line to the other side where the FPP entrance was (causing quite a commotion with some other guests). I enjoyed the show, although I find JAT annoying.
We had 6:20 PM character meal at Hollywood & Vine so we headed over there. Even though we had a "reservation" for 6:20, I think we waited another hour to get in. It was nice though, we got our picture taken with Chip and Dale when we got in, and Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy were making the rounds. And the food was really good, they had a lobster and shrimp mac and cheese that was really good (it was Lando's Lobster and Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese, so that's why it was smoooooth).
I think we did another Star Tours ride before going into the VIP fireworks viewing area. In the meantime, I have a friend down there who was going to meet us and we weren't sure how we would find each other in the crowd. She arrived and I told her we were near the front of the stage and she was nearby. I told her if she went to the corner of the VIP area, I'd see her and sure enough, a few minutes later, I see her walking up. I walk over towards her, but it was a bit dark and I didn't see that when I stepped around a guy sitting on the ground that he had a bag sitting next to him, so I tripped over that and landed on the ground next to Heidi. She looked down and said, oh there you are!
We watched the fireworks and hung out a bit while the crowds filtered out. I told her she could take the bus there and we could drive her back (she was staying at CBR too). We planned to get up early the next day, but Heidi was going to sleep in (since she had been working and drove up).
When they opened the park, we headed right to Toy Story and got on with a short wait. I managed to put up a higher score than Bob on my first try, granted I didn't totally know what I was doing. I'll clean up the order later, we waited in a short line to get our picture taken with Darth Vader, and then rode the Rock n Roller coaster and had a FPP for Tower of Terror, which I wasn't totally impressed with, and also the Star Tours ride.
We headed back to the main area to check in for our "Feel the Force" premium package, which gave us a "premium" spot to see the parade in the morning and then the stage and fireworks show in the evening (along with refreshments in the morning and desserts and refreshments in the evening). While I was waiting in the line to get in, Bob picked up lunch at Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. He got himself a hot dog pretzel and I got a pork shank (we got free soda, water, and a frozen treat in the VIP area).
The parade was nice, there were the Disney characters in Star Wars costumes (Mickey - Jedi, Minnie - Princess Leia, Goofy - Darth Vader, Donald Duck - Stormtrooper, Chip and Dale - Ewoks). There were also people dressed as other Star Wars characters (but no Han Solo).
We waited in a line to get a picture of either Luke, Leia, and/or C3PO, but by luck of the draw, it was just Leia.
We had a break incorporated into our schedule, so not to lose our "prime" parking space, we took the bus back to CBR. We got off at the Old Port Royale area to pick up towels and walked back to Martinique. The "feature" pool at Old Port Royale was a bit crowded, but the Martinique pool was not, but we discovered that the pool at Barbados was closer, so we went there. It was a nice mid-day break.
We showered off and headed back to HS to get back for the Visit to the Maul appearance with Ray Park. We thought we were too late, but we managed to get there as they were letting people in, although we were on the wrong side of where they blocked the entrance. After speaking with a cast member, they let us cut across the line to the other side where the FPP entrance was (causing quite a commotion with some other guests). I enjoyed the show, although I find JAT annoying.
We had 6:20 PM character meal at Hollywood & Vine so we headed over there. Even though we had a "reservation" for 6:20, I think we waited another hour to get in. It was nice though, we got our picture taken with Chip and Dale when we got in, and Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy were making the rounds. And the food was really good, they had a lobster and shrimp mac and cheese that was really good (it was Lando's Lobster and Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese, so that's why it was smoooooth).
I think we did another Star Tours ride before going into the VIP fireworks viewing area. In the meantime, I have a friend down there who was going to meet us and we weren't sure how we would find each other in the crowd. She arrived and I told her we were near the front of the stage and she was nearby. I told her if she went to the corner of the VIP area, I'd see her and sure enough, a few minutes later, I see her walking up. I walk over towards her, but it was a bit dark and I didn't see that when I stepped around a guy sitting on the ground that he had a bag sitting next to him, so I tripped over that and landed on the ground next to Heidi. She looked down and said, oh there you are!
We watched the fireworks and hung out a bit while the crowds filtered out. I told her she could take the bus there and we could drive her back (she was staying at CBR too). We planned to get up early the next day, but Heidi was going to sleep in (since she had been working and drove up).
Day 1: Star Wars Weekend at Walt Disney World: May 29 - June 2
I had talked about this with my friend Bob last year after he told me Billy Dee Williams was going to be there. He prepared several plans for trips that year and after delaying and delaying, we didn't go. This year, I "promised" him we'd go, and we actually did.
He did most of the planning, as I haven't been to WDW (see, I'm starting to use the acronyms) in over 20 years. Plus I'm planning a trip in December for my daughter's 5th birthday, so this was a good time to do some recon for that trip.
There was alot to try to pack in a weekend to see over the four parks, plus the SWW stuff, not to mention a bit pricey. I haven't gotten the overall cost, but I'm sure it was a tad bit high. . .
Originally, I would have liked to have gone over Memorial Day weekend. It would have been good for me because I would get Friday and Monday off and not have to take any vacation. However, it didn't work for Bob's schedule, so we planned for the following weekend. Unfortunately, the celebrities that were attending that weekend were. . . well, less than stellar. Probably the most known name, John Ratzenberger, is more know for his other roles than his small role in Episode V. Ray Park (Darth Maul) was there, as was Taylor Gray (Star Wars Rebels), and Ashley Eckstein (The Clone Wars). Of course, the host, James Arnold Taylor (The Clone Wars) was there. Or course, this weekend Mark Hamill is there as well as Billy Dee Williams (poor planning us).
So I got a decent airfare out of BWI at $109/ow, departing Thursday, May 29 and returning Monday, June 2. The question was how to get from the Western part of Fairfax County to BWI for my 1:50 PM flight without a car. I looked into the Super Shuttle, but the cost was around $90! So I decided to low roll it and take the bus from home to the Metro ($1.60), take the Metro to the MARC train ($5.75), and take that to BWI ($5.00). I wouldn't recommend it with alot of baggage or during peak rush hour (as it was, I still got to Vienna Metro around 8:52 AM. I was supposed to get there earlier, but there was a fair amount of traffic). As opposed to transferring to the Red Line at Metro Center to get to Union Station, I took the Orange Line all the way to New Carrollton and picked up the train there (it's just much more convenient). I missed the prior train by a few minutes, so I had a little wait before getting the MARC to BWI. From there, you take a shuttle to the airport.
I got to the airport around 11:17 AM, so I had plenty of time to have a nice lunch at Phillips Famous Seafood. I haven't eaten there in many years, so I enjoyed a nice crab cake and fried shrimp.
As people were lining up to board the plane, a woman had fallen in the line. I'm not sure what happened as I was in the back of the line and did not see. I just heard and felt a thump and a woman cry out. They went to help her pretty quickly and when I boarded she was still sitting on the side holding her wrist (I'm not sure if she made the plane).
The plane was not too crowded, so our middle seat was unoccupied. I spent most of the time sleeping, since our plane was not WiFi equipped, and soon enough, we arrived at MCO.
I have never been to the airport and was pretty amazed. I did not have time to look around, but I saw nice seating areas and Disney shops (of course). I had to get my bag and head to the Disney Magical Express depot. Now, I could have checked my bags all the way to the hotel, but I did not get my tags in time, plus I felt like I wanted to have my bag there when I got there and not have to wait.
So after the walk from one side of the terminal to the other, I got to the Depot area. There is no one in line and I checked in online, so after just scanning my Magic Band, I'm in line for the bus. I did have to wait a while until they loaded our bus, and after one stop at Art of Animation, we arrived at our property, Caribbean Beach Resort. Bob had picked this out over the cheaper All-Star Resorts because I believe he preferred the location.
I had already checked-in online, but he wanted me to square up the bill with Disney Gift Cards, which I had 10 in $50 denominations. Bob was arriving around 5:50 PM and was planning on meeting me at Epcot after I squared everything at the room. When I checked-in, I was to get a ground floor room and Barbados ( close to the Custom House, to shorten walking) or close to Old Port Royale, which I got Martinique. He also told me to ask about a late check-out and our grocery order. I was able to secure a 1:00 PM check-out on Monday (as opposed to the standard 11:00 AM) and our groceries were waiting with the Bell Desk. After getting our groceries, the guy drove me out to our room and I was set.
The room was nice, we had a corner room, which meant that we had two sets of windows. After putting the groceries away and getting squared away, I head to the bus stop to head to Epcot.
Here is a link to pictures of the room: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154256233395232.1073741856.813685231&type=1&l=8d46313ea6
It was about 40 minutes to wait for a bus and get to Epcot. I had purchased an annual pass voucher, but when I arrived, I did not see a ticket window open (around 7:36 PM). I asked someone at the gate and they directed me to Guest Services. Bob had arrived and was already in the park when I finished up.
He had booked a Fast Pass + (FPP) for Spaceship Earth from 6:40 -7:40, so I think we just made it during the grace period. We also had a FPP for the Test Track, where we designed a horrible vehicle. We headed to Japan to set up for Illuminations and grab something for dinner (which we had chicken teriyaki at the Katsura Grill).
After Illuminations, we wandered around the park for a bit before heading "home". Bob rented a car, so we didn't have to worry about buses.
That ended a long first day!
He did most of the planning, as I haven't been to WDW (see, I'm starting to use the acronyms) in over 20 years. Plus I'm planning a trip in December for my daughter's 5th birthday, so this was a good time to do some recon for that trip.
There was alot to try to pack in a weekend to see over the four parks, plus the SWW stuff, not to mention a bit pricey. I haven't gotten the overall cost, but I'm sure it was a tad bit high. . .
Originally, I would have liked to have gone over Memorial Day weekend. It would have been good for me because I would get Friday and Monday off and not have to take any vacation. However, it didn't work for Bob's schedule, so we planned for the following weekend. Unfortunately, the celebrities that were attending that weekend were. . . well, less than stellar. Probably the most known name, John Ratzenberger, is more know for his other roles than his small role in Episode V. Ray Park (Darth Maul) was there, as was Taylor Gray (Star Wars Rebels), and Ashley Eckstein (The Clone Wars). Of course, the host, James Arnold Taylor (The Clone Wars) was there. Or course, this weekend Mark Hamill is there as well as Billy Dee Williams (poor planning us).
So I got a decent airfare out of BWI at $109/ow, departing Thursday, May 29 and returning Monday, June 2. The question was how to get from the Western part of Fairfax County to BWI for my 1:50 PM flight without a car. I looked into the Super Shuttle, but the cost was around $90! So I decided to low roll it and take the bus from home to the Metro ($1.60), take the Metro to the MARC train ($5.75), and take that to BWI ($5.00). I wouldn't recommend it with alot of baggage or during peak rush hour (as it was, I still got to Vienna Metro around 8:52 AM. I was supposed to get there earlier, but there was a fair amount of traffic). As opposed to transferring to the Red Line at Metro Center to get to Union Station, I took the Orange Line all the way to New Carrollton and picked up the train there (it's just much more convenient). I missed the prior train by a few minutes, so I had a little wait before getting the MARC to BWI. From there, you take a shuttle to the airport.
I got to the airport around 11:17 AM, so I had plenty of time to have a nice lunch at Phillips Famous Seafood. I haven't eaten there in many years, so I enjoyed a nice crab cake and fried shrimp.
As people were lining up to board the plane, a woman had fallen in the line. I'm not sure what happened as I was in the back of the line and did not see. I just heard and felt a thump and a woman cry out. They went to help her pretty quickly and when I boarded she was still sitting on the side holding her wrist (I'm not sure if she made the plane).
The plane was not too crowded, so our middle seat was unoccupied. I spent most of the time sleeping, since our plane was not WiFi equipped, and soon enough, we arrived at MCO.
I have never been to the airport and was pretty amazed. I did not have time to look around, but I saw nice seating areas and Disney shops (of course). I had to get my bag and head to the Disney Magical Express depot. Now, I could have checked my bags all the way to the hotel, but I did not get my tags in time, plus I felt like I wanted to have my bag there when I got there and not have to wait.
So after the walk from one side of the terminal to the other, I got to the Depot area. There is no one in line and I checked in online, so after just scanning my Magic Band, I'm in line for the bus. I did have to wait a while until they loaded our bus, and after one stop at Art of Animation, we arrived at our property, Caribbean Beach Resort. Bob had picked this out over the cheaper All-Star Resorts because I believe he preferred the location.
I had already checked-in online, but he wanted me to square up the bill with Disney Gift Cards, which I had 10 in $50 denominations. Bob was arriving around 5:50 PM and was planning on meeting me at Epcot after I squared everything at the room. When I checked-in, I was to get a ground floor room and Barbados ( close to the Custom House, to shorten walking) or close to Old Port Royale, which I got Martinique. He also told me to ask about a late check-out and our grocery order. I was able to secure a 1:00 PM check-out on Monday (as opposed to the standard 11:00 AM) and our groceries were waiting with the Bell Desk. After getting our groceries, the guy drove me out to our room and I was set.
The room was nice, we had a corner room, which meant that we had two sets of windows. After putting the groceries away and getting squared away, I head to the bus stop to head to Epcot.
Here is a link to pictures of the room: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154256233395232.1073741856.813685231&type=1&l=8d46313ea6
It was about 40 minutes to wait for a bus and get to Epcot. I had purchased an annual pass voucher, but when I arrived, I did not see a ticket window open (around 7:36 PM). I asked someone at the gate and they directed me to Guest Services. Bob had arrived and was already in the park when I finished up.
He had booked a Fast Pass + (FPP) for Spaceship Earth from 6:40 -7:40, so I think we just made it during the grace period. We also had a FPP for the Test Track, where we designed a horrible vehicle. We headed to Japan to set up for Illuminations and grab something for dinner (which we had chicken teriyaki at the Katsura Grill).
After Illuminations, we wandered around the park for a bit before heading "home". Bob rented a car, so we didn't have to worry about buses.
That ended a long first day!
First Post!
Well, apparently I've had a Blog account for quite a while and I've commented on friend's blogs, but never had one of my own. Here's my first attempt. . .
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