Trip Report Food & Wine with a Long Line, but plenty of Sunshine! (and beer)

Trip reports are great and there's so much to know...
climb aboard explorers, its time to gooooo!

Welcome everyone to my overdue trip report! Apologies again for the delay and for a complete lack of updates and pics while we were actually in WDW, but there was a reason for that. Well, it was actually due to a mistake but we turned it into something new for us in terms of this TR. Allow me to explain. About an hour after we were on the road my wife turns to me and asks, "did you grab the camera bag out of the office"? I paused, then slowly turned my head to look at her as my bottom lip rolled up against my teeth in the manor which you make an 'F' sound. It was like the scene in the movie Christmas Story when Ralphie slowly says, "ffffffffudge". Although I didnt say fudge, well neither did Ralphy actually, but anyway... we realized that we had left our camera back at home. Ugggghhhhhh! There was no way I was turning around since we were already an hour into the trip. We both had our phones and we figured it would have to do.

Then she drops another bomb on me. She reminds that her phone memory is full and she cant take pictures. She had an issue syncing her iphone to her laptop to transfer pics and after a long call with tech support they told her she would have to bring her phone in and they would take care of it. Of course she hadnt brought it in yet which left us with one phone capable of taking pictures for the trip. I recently upgraded to the LG 4 (or whatver its called) and it has a great camera and decent battery. In that moment, my phone became Obi-Wan Kenobi because....it was our only hope! So after a short discussion we decided that the best plan was to take pictures and video and conserve battery whenever we could which would mean not going online to often, especially Instagram, which for some reason is a battery killer for my phone. No Instagram! This was gonna be tough, lol. Then my idea for this TR was born. We wanted to take more videos this trip for Food and Wine and I proposed that we do a mash up of a normal TR mixed in with some videos and reviews. We thought when we returned home we could do a video review of both of us going over the events of the day as well since we wouldnt be able to get everything on film in the event my phone died during the day (which it did, EVERYDAY!)

So thats how this bad boy is gonna roll! We will write a summary of the day with pics and then add our video at the end which will be us at home going over the day. We made the first video last night and had a lot of fun. It took several attempts because Akira and the cats decided to all act up once we started (youll see in the video). But if anybody doesnt like videos or doesnt want to watch, I understand. But if you wanna get to know us a little better, give the vid a try. Hope you guys like it! Im gonna post this part now and then begin day writing day one and post it within the hour. Sorry for no pics in this part, I just wanted to explain what we would be doing. There is plenty of good stuff ahead, dont worry!

 

[wdisney9000]

Day 2, part 1

We had a good nights rest and woke up around 7 am with pure excitement to be checking into our Beach Club Villa! Our bags were still packed so loading the car up was easy and we showered, got dressed and I hit the front desk to make sure there were not any surprises for the bill, which there were none and that made me a happy camper! I was completely ready for some random hidden charges, but there were none. I jumped in the car with a smile on my face and the sun was steadily rising as we headed towards Beach Club! A few minutes later it was time for the REAL vacation to start! Vacation 2.0!

All engines go and our trajectory had us on a course toward the Boardwalk resorts! (We saw The Martian last night so Im all about NASA terms today, lol). Soon we arrived and were pulling up at the front of the resort. We pulled up to the valet and as I hopped out there was a CM who greeted me and verified my name. She escorted me in and as we entered the lobby there was another lady wearing plain clothes waiting on us on and she escorted me to the front desk. She told me she was was with Disney guest relations and was there to assist me with our check in. I assumed this was from the email I sent in regards to my difficulty with our botched AP reservations at Yacht Club. She didnt do much other than speak with the CM at the desk and had a few private words with her and then I thanked her for her help (basically standing there with me) and she headed off as I thanked her for her time. I figured she told the CM to make sure there were no problems and I figured we would have a room right away! This was not the case, lol. The CM said they would call me when the room was ready since it was so early (about 8:30 am). No worries, we had showerd and were ready to hit the parks!

After we unloaded our bags and parked, we headed towards the pathway to Hollywood Studios! Grabbed a quick selfie with DVC wing in the background.

We could see the Chinese Theater from a distance on the pathway and it was such a sweet sight to behold!

She was very excited as she has only experienced HS with the BAH gumming up the works! She definitely liked the view!

Shortly after, we arrived at the park and grabbed a few selfies with, (IMO) the much nicer view down Hollywood Blvd! A nice gentleman offered to take a photo of us together as well.

Ya, my shirt is BAD A$$!!! I didn think I could pull of the floral shorts, but I feel like I did, lol. In my genius to go shopping last minute there was literally no stores with decent shorts still in stock since its fall season. I found them at the Gap in the back of the store. They were marked down from $39 to $15! Score! And they are very comfortable.

Anyways, we headed towards TSMM for our FP but of course it went down within minutes of us arriving. We walked over to Star Tours and the wait said 25 minutes but we could tell it was much longer than that.

Dont let this photo fool you. The line snaked under the AT-AT and into the tree area, it was not the normal straight line that goes inside. We decided to come back later. We were hungry anyway so we headed to Starring Rolls for something to eat. We strolled back towards Starring Rolls and it wasnt too busy. We grabbed a bagel to split so we didnt overload on carbs and figured it would keep us going for awhile, and provide something to soak up the booze we would eventually be drinking.

After our light breakfast we were unsure about where to go so since our next FP was at R&R and wasnt for quite some time. We browsed around a few shops and after that we noticed that Tune In Lounge was opening there doors so we figured it was a sign that we should go in and order a drink...or three, haha.

We were excited to see that the bartender was the same guy who served when we visited last December and he actually remembered us. He has family that live in Georgia very close to where we live so thats how he remembered. I ordered a Yuengling and my wife decided to go balls out and get a Stoli on the rocks, which to me seems like a pretty "gangsta" drink for 11 Am. He poured her quite a tall glass too!

We were glad that the bar filled up pretty quick and we didnt feel like the only lushes there, lol. We had a great time chatting with the bartender and a really sweet lady sat next to us who had a bunch of Disney Cruise paraphernalia on. She had some cool stories and had visited Hawaii several times, which my wife has as well and they chatted for awhile as I drank watched the old school tv and enjoyed listening to the CM's shout a the families in the 50s. I had 3 beers total and she had two of her drinks as well. I didnt take pictures of the other drinks because they all looked the same anyway.

After a great time at Tune In Lounge, we headed back towards TSMM and it was back u but the FP+ line was INSANELY long. It was nearly back to One Mans Dream. All the people had returned with their FP+ at the same time. We decided to wait and head to Wattos Grotto and check it out. On the way there we spotted the Green Army Man and stopped to get a photo. He/she was very playful and I got some good pics.

They held my hand as I walked away and my wife grabbed a pic. Ive hit the limit for this post, so Ill post it and continue soon.....

 

[lostpro9het]

Day 2, part 1

I see you're tired of seeing the dirty birds rise down. So many turnovers, Matty ice is killing my FFB.

You guys ever make it to the Brown Derby Lounge? Great list of drinks there!

 

[wdisney9000]

ya, the Falcons are causing me t drink more than normal. Why cant they ever have a good first half?

We have never done Brown Derby. No particular reason, just havent dined there...yet. We have used their bathrooms though!

 

[lostpro9het]

ya, the Falcons are causing me t drink more than normal. Why cant they ever have a good first half?

Yeah, today's football is inspiring me to finish up my report.

We have never done Brown Derby. No particular reason, just havent dined there...yet. We have used their bathrooms though!

Shoot, just hit up the lounge! Its right outside and less stuffy.

 

[MinnieM123]

You and your wife look so happy in the pictures! I can tell you were both ecstatic to be back in WDW. Can't wait to hear more fun details.

(Backtracking a bit to your lawn area at home, that was freaky about the dead deer. Is animal control sure the deer was taken down by a coyote? Coyotes and wolves are getting to be a nuisance in many areas, including the northeast where I live. But I thought that they mostly went after smaller animals such as rabbits or cats, but perhaps I may be mistaken.)

 

[sheriffwoody]

Enjoying your report so far!! The video was fun to watch, and I love your light fixture

 

[wdisney9000]

You and your wife look so happy in the pictures! I can tell you were both ecstatic to be back in WDW. Can't wait to hear more fun details.

(Backtracking a bit to your lawn area at home, that was freaky about the dead deer. Is animal control sure the deer was taken down by a coyote? Coyotes and wolves are getting to be a nuisance in many areas, including the northeast where I live. But I thought that they mostly went after smaller animals such as rabbits or cats, but perhaps I may be mistaken.)

We are ALWAYS happy at WDW! As far as the coyotes, the animal control guy seemed pretty confident but who knows. Didnt seem to be poached as there was no gunshot wound we could see. We even have bobcats around our neighborhood. I saw one early in the morning once (Around 5 am). It was impressive to say the least. It looked like a puma, but smaller.

Enjoying your report so far!! The video was fun to watch, and I love your light fixture

Thanks for following along! My wife loves that light fixture as well! I installed a dimmer switch on it and we have nicknamed the different settings with Disney ride titles, like POTC setting is about 20% brightness and Haunted Mansion setting is the lowest level. We are major dorks!

 

[fractal]

Love the shirt and shorts! You guys make a great looking couple - luv Tune In lounge!

 

[wdisney9000]

Love the shirt and shorts! You guys make a great looking couple - luv Tune In lounge!

Thanks! I really feared attempting floral pattern shorts but I figured we would be in Flaorida so they kinda matched the tropical climate. That and the fact they were the only pair I could find anywhere! The Darth Vader shirt helped to butch it up a bit too.

We love Tune in lounge since its a great way to experience the vibes of 50s prime time without having to do a sit down meal. Always great service as well. Thanks for following along!

 

[DRD]

Great report so far! I should have picked your brain for drink ideas before our last trip...though we did pretty well for ourselves in retrospect. I dig the Vader shirt as well.

Also, we had a fairly long line at Star Tours and we had a FP for it. Felt kind of like an idiot waiting 10 minutes at the FP scanner when the ride wait was 20 but once we got past the scanner (not sure why it was such an issue that day...maybe their scanners were wonky?) we walked on practically.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Coyotes!? EEK! That's crazy! Here in Maryland we don't really experience stuff like that.

Loving the pictures so far! Looks like it was pretty busy in DHS!

 

[catmom46]

Thought I'd bump up your TR back to the first page with SB: Nitro Milk Stout (6%), Left Hand Brewing Co. Boo-yah!

No picture of the bottle, though, since this was at the bar, so here's a pic of the description:

 

[sheriffwoody]

SB: Nitro Milk Stout (6%), Left Hand Brewing Co

We had that while we were at Cali Grill! It was really yummy. I haven't had a proper beer in weeks...I need to go shopping.

 

[catmom46]

We had that while we were at Cali Grill! It was really yummy. I haven't had a proper beer in weeks...I need to go shopping.

Ooh, good to know for my next trip!

 

[skyphotographer]

Nice trip report! Next time though, stop in Macon and pick me up. I'll be sure to bring my camera! Lol

 

[lostpro9het]

Doctors orders!
Raleigh's own Lonerider Brewery's Sweet Josie, American Brown 6.1%ABV.

 

[Mom@disney]

Very much enjoying the trip report! Love the video portion of it...now I have a voice to put to the words as I read
Thanks for all the input on staying off property. Every time we visit Disney, we can't fully enjoy Epcot because, well, my daughters hate it ( I guess it's not princessy enough for them). Looking forward to future years of drinking and eating around World Showcase on adult only trips, but until then I'll be happy reading up on yours.

 

[catmom46]

Doctors orders!
Raleigh's own Lonerider Brewery's Sweet Josie, American Brown 6.1%ABV.

Since our prescription for more TR hasn't been filled yet, more SB: Boatswain H.L.V. Ale (7%), Rhinelander Brewing Co. Boo-yah!

 

[wdisney9000]

Day 2 (part 2)

Ok, I just finished @lostpro9het 's TR and what better time to get back to mine! Well, that and the fact that Akira is asleep! Lol. Shortly before our trip, my wife forced me to give up sugar in my coffee AND switch to coconut creamer at the same time. I was not happy about it a first as I did not get the same rush of energy without my sugar, which she had me switch to organic sugar last year. Without the sugar rush I was a bit slower in the morning and thats possibly a reason I wasnt cranking out this TR. Ive come around though and enjoy the coconut creamer and actually feel better about myself not consuming 10 tablespoons of sugar each morning. She was slick to slowly transition me into this stage but Im glad she knows how to work me. Anyway, back to HS we go.....................

We last left off when we had returned to TSMM only to find the FP+ line so inanely long that it was laughable to even attempt to get in it. You seriously couldnt tell where it ended. Thanks Meg! So we got some pics with the Army guy. Wife got a nice picture as I was walking away and the army guy held onto my hand longer. I like to think it was a female in the costume and she was having trouble letting go of such a handsome man like myslef, haha

From here we made our way over to check out Wattos Grotto. I was glad to see that area had changed from the Frozen ice skating rink which IMO, had to have been chalk full of germs with all the kids running around the fake snow coughing on and touching everything. Sorry if that sounds rude but when we were in there last December I felt like one of the characters in an old black and white horror movie whose expression slowly turns into terror as the camera panned from one ghastly image to the next. There were just kids hacking up phlegm nuggets and then wiping it on their shirt then diving into the snow as their parents laughed about the contamination that was occurring.

So, we entered a very clean and tidy Wattos Gratto which was full of cool Star Wars merch! FYI, I am a huge SW nerd (tickets for Force Awakens already purchased) as is my brother. He had asked us to get him a Boba Fett pin so we figured this would be the place! Found the pin display and I really like the Cptn Phasma and Kilo Ren pin as well. Then we headed to the back so I could get some sweet (but completely dorky) light saber pictures!

So I looked at the photo and told my wife it was blurry and to take another one. Since I was in full nerd-gasm mode she decided to have some fun at my expense. She told me to make some "cool" poses for the picture to which I delightfully obliged. Only she wasnt taking pictures, she was filming me acting like a kid with my light saber so she could send it to my brother and make fun of me.



After she had her fun, we decided that it was only right to go back and ride Star Tours. Hopefully the wait wouldnt be so bad. On the way out I had to get a picture with the sweet speeder parked outside the shop.

The wait at Star Tours was much better (about 15 min). We had a good sequence and as always enjoyed the flight. For as much of a SW nerd that I am, my wife sure does hoot and holler during the ride and then ask me a handful of questions after exiting, such as, "which planet was that" or "what movie is that guy from". Im glad she likes it and Im hoping she will enjoy the Force Awakens. She is not going to the first show with my brother and I as I think she fears the amount of nerdiness we will be displaying. She has overheard us discussing which color Jedi cloaks and light sabers we will be wearing to the show. Her and I will likely go see it on a week night following opening weekend.

Our R&R FP+ was coming up so we headed over that way, but first had to stop and refuel It had been nearly an hour since our last drinks which was far too long to wait. We stopped at Anaheim Produce (I think) to get back on the drunky town express and ordered two beers and a pretzel. Im pretty sure it was Anaheim Produce because I remember being surprised they had craft beer.

We snagged a seat around the corner and towards the back by a shady tree area. It was a nice and quiet spot to enjoy our brews.

While we were sittng there we noticed a few CM photographers being trained by a lady CM. They were posing for pictures and she was explaining something to them which we couldnt fully hear. It was about shadows and light or something. So as they were doing their thing, they were directly in the middle of the pathway leading back out to Sunset Blvd. So along come a group of three younger guys who walked between them to get to Sunset. The lady (trainer) CM gave them the most rude and disgusting look for walking through her group. Now, normally I would think it was rude of the guys to cut through, but the CM's were in a position were the guys couldnt even see them as they rounded the corner and the CM's were somewhat spread out from each other so it actually looked like they were just standing there. One of the guys even hesitated as he noticed them but it did not matter to the lady CM as she stared directly at each of them in a very "in your face" manor as they walked by. It was TOTALLY unprofessional, especially for someone training people. It seemed like a great opportunity to explain to the trainees that things like that happen as they are taking pictures and just to roll with it, but she decided that pure anger through facial expressions was better. She then proceeded to bad mouth the guys to the other CM's. Her actions were unprofessional for a carnival type job, but for WDW standards, it was just pitiful and sad. I see more rude CM's than ever before. Either that or they just dont seem that into the role they are playing. Ive ranted before about Haunted Mansion CM's or TGMR as well. Its a shame. But it only takes one special CM who truly loves what theyre doing to make it all seem better, and theyre are still plenty of those left!

Sorry for the rant. Back to the trip! After boozing up, we made it over to RnR only to find it it had been down but just started back up. The FP+ line was long but we decided to jump in.

The CM at the turn style was chatting with us and told us the reason it went down was because someone threw up in the car! We joked with them and the two locals who were in line with us about not knowing which seat it was and how gross it would be to get that one but never know it. The CM said it happens quite often and there were quite a few seats which we could get that had been "violated", lol.

The wait was long (for FP+) but we had a great time in line with the two locals. They had a little daughter and she was a Disney nut so it was fun asking her which was her favorite ride, park, restaurant, etc. They also had a big tervis they kept referring to as their "magic juice" and we knew were in good company, lol. Long lines are sooooo much more enjoyable when you talk with the people around you and have fun swapping stories and whatnot. We said our goodbyes to our new "FP+ friends" and boarded our car, which did NOT smell it like had just been scrubbed down with industrial solvent so we figured we dodged the "vomit comet" car, lol. Had a great ride as always!

You can tell by this photo that we did not purchase the Memory Maker. Of course we left the camera at home so it would have been nice to have purchased MM, but oh well, more money for beer!

It was around 230 pm and we even though we had not received a call or text about our room being ready, we figured we would make our back to BC and by the time we got there hopefully it would be ready.

Next up will be our very frustrating but also completely AMAZING check in experience. I know that seems as if it makes no sense, but it will when I explain. Also for day two after check in we still have some time at Epcot and then our Monorail beer crawl which we have videos for! And of course our daily video recap! stay tuned, there is lots more! Thanks for following everybody and have a great Friday, the weekend is here!

ETA: Here is some bonus footage of me being a nerd. (she told me she was recording this time) Please note I had consumed several beers prior, lol. And for some reason my favorite move is the block maneuver when I swing the sword behind my head. No idea what Im blocking though, lol

 

[lostpro9het]

...Shortly before our trip, my wife forced me to give up sugar in my coffee AND switch to coconut creamer at the same time. I was not happy about it a first as I did not get the same rush of energy without my sugar, which she had me switch to organic sugar last year. Without the sugar rush I was a bit slower in the morning and thats possibly a reason I wasnt cranking out this TR...

Have you considered honey? We kicked sugar and cream too in our coffee and honey actually works very well and it doesn't take a lot.

....FYI, I am a huge SW nerd (tickets for Force Awakens already purchased) as is my brother.

Ditto! We are actually going to see it opening day at a movie theater off of 75 on the way down to our Christmas week trip. I toyed with the idea of just waiting until we got back then I rememberd how Abrams seems to pride himself on surprises in his productions. I couldn't live with myself if something epic happens and I heard it second hand while waiting in the Star Tours line over Christmas..