The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[betty rose]

Wish I could do Food and Wine but it is pretty much in the beginning of the school year and for a teacher that doesn't work.

I'm sorry. It's fun to try the different foods. Things, I don't get a chance to do in Colorado.

 

[betty rose]

Good Night Bets.

I'm back on for a while, seems I had a little to much chocolate tonight.

 

[betty rose]

As far as I know they do not do airport to resort transportation. We always take a towncar from MCO to Uni and towncar to Disney for the second half of the trip.

I love the transportation by boat to the parks/City Walk. It is a hub. You go to the dock, board boat it drops you to a central hub and you can either go to City Walk, mini golf, or either park. It reminds me of Disneyland, you don't waste a lot of time getting to the parks and if you hop it is mere minutes or you can easily pop out of the parks go back to your resort swim and be back at the parks or City Walk for a meal.

The map is the best I can find but Uni uses their waterways to transport guests from the resorts to the parks. The back up for severe weather is buses but I've never been on one of their buses. We stay at the Portofino (bottom right) board the boat, sometimes add guests at Hard Rock in off hours and then it dumps you off at the parks and or City Walk.

I love your map and information. We have taken a town car to Disney. It's a nice ride. I will tell hubby about this. I may go to UNI and Disney for our 50th, we've been saving a long time for a special trip.

 

[betty rose]

Only one picture? For the day?! My husband would love traveling with you! He used to get a little perturbed with my constant picture taking, now he jokes about it. But now since I got an article published on another Disney blog site, I just tell him it is for future articles!

That's great! Keep doing what you do. You never know where this might go. DD found there is a place for Disney lovers.

 

[betty rose]

A few quick Disney notes:

The renovated the rooms at BCV, finally. In case you were wondering, they are no longer ugly. Quite beautiful and nice to be in now, and they have USB charging stations, which is fantastic. The studios also have a pull down bed, so we no longer need to bring the air mattress for my brother. The TVs are also fantastic. We want one for at home. Only complaint is the locks on the bathrooms are still the same (useless).

I know a few people had voiced concerns about going back through MK security after going back for a nap or afternoon swim. We've gone in anywhere between 4-6pm, and usually, there were very few people going through security. Sometimes, we would walk right up to bag check. I wouldn't worry about security if you're planning an afternoon break.

Lines at DHS have been much better lately. The most I saw today was RNRC running 60 minutes. TofT at one point was down to 20, but was mostly running 30-40. TSM was running 40-50 minutes. Do Star Tours last; it runs 40 minutes during the day but is a walk on from about 6 pm on.

Get a FP for Frozen. Soarin' runs about 50 minutes during the day and isn't crowded at night. TT runs a bit higher, but also isn't terrible. Frozen runs anywhere from 90-120 minutes during the day, and the lowest wait I saw was 60 during EMH. BTW, at least try it. It is horribly misplaced, but the technology and the animatronics are amazing.

Thanks for the information, we will be in Disney in 57 days. Yes, I'm counting down.

 

[betty rose]

Out for tonight, gang...
Still ketchuping, but, still sooo far behind...!
The sweetest of silly Disney dreams to one and all...!!!
Laterrrrrrr...!!!!!

Great dreams, @donaldtoo.

 

[betty rose]

Okay, my chocolate high has worn off. Time for bed. zzzzzzz

 

[Cesar R M]

I will go back to Uni for HP again when they add something new. I have never stayed at a Uni Resort so I cannot comment on that, but my experiences at Disney Resorts have always been extremely pleasant.

I was also a kid in the 90's and I agree Disney was on the ball back then. Now they seem to have lost it when it comes to new ideas. Kids who frequent WDW/DL every year have to get bored with it. I myself could not even do that. I have only been to WDW three times in my life and they were all after the age of 21. My parents were not really into vacations to amusement parks. If a child does come into my life I will not take them every year. Instead I will expose them to many different vacation spots. That way when we do go back to Disney Parks it won't be all the same things.

you did visit both Hogsmeade+Hogwarts plus diagon alley already?

 

[Cesar R M]

Raises hand--I've done that, too. But by the time I realize it, (the next morning for example), they're dry anyway! Ha! (O.k., so they're a little wrinkled, but dry!)

You can just use the "fluff" program to remove the wrinks, right?

 

[Cesar R M]

When I was a pre-teen/teen we went to Universal a couple times (before Islands of Adventure was built). It was okay, but we preferred Disney more. And now-a-days I am just more connected to Disney characters and storytelling and not so much to Universal owned characters and stories. I'm sure Universal is very nice, but I just want to stay in the bubble.

you need to forget that mentality considering how much Universal has changed recently.
Many people were the same and were surprised to see how much Universal has improved. And they could have missed it if they kept that "Only Disney" mentality.
I was kinda the same.. and the free visit to Hogsmeade changed my views during that cochlear convention.

 

[Cesar R M]

Read on CNN and Fox news later today that the 4 guys made up the story. Still shaking my head over that one . . .

And it gets worse.. they peed and destroyed proper.. and then got confronted by the owner.. then ran and then claimed it was a robbery.. wow!
I wonder if the other swimmers who managed to fly(aka escape) to USA, will be shielded by their respective Olympic groups.

 

[Cesar R M]

I heard that on the news tonight. Isn't it a disgrace?! And like my hubby said, if they had never lied in the first place no one probably would have known about them and their trashing of a bathroom as it seems the owner got his payment that night.

A disgrace that they would trash and wreck property, and another one that they would lie about it. Not good role models for kids at all.

I dont think it was the bathroom only. They peed and destroyed signs outside, in the outer space of the gas station if I remember correctly.

These 4 swimmers should get some reprimand from the United States and the Olympic Committee. I am not saying they should be striped of medals, but some sort of fine or suspension is in order. They disgraced the U.S. Olympic Team and their country. It is a damn disgrace.

I wonder if they will ever do that.
a few years ago.. each country treated their athletes as sacred cows and protected them at all costs.. even if they did awful things.
The mentality has changed these years.

 

[Cesar R M]

I'm so glad for you. Daughter got her identity stolen using pay pal. If you want to tell me your nearest Walmart location, we can send money through them. I know you like to keep your location unknown, and I understand that. You can pm me and we will help out.

Paypal is safe if you know to keep it safe (not sharing a lot of information, changing passwords regularly..)
Makes me wonder, how did she get her "identity stolen" using paypal?
are you sure they didnt just steal her information and THEN created a paypal account?

Makes me wonder if she actually got phished (aka sent to a page that looked like paypal but it wasnt, and thus she entered her info right into the thief's hand). They are doing this a lot by copying even banks now.

 

[Gabe1]

I love your map and information. We have taken a town car to Disney. It's a nice ride. I will tell hubby about this. I may go to UNI and Disney for our 50th, we've been saving a long time for a special trip.

When the time comes we can discuss hotels. Like Disney Uni has many varieties. Some I'd recommend for us older adults others not so much, kinda like Disney.

 

[Gabe1]

I dont think it was the bathroom only. They peed and destroyed signs outside, in the outer space of the gas station if I remember correctly.



I wonder if they will ever do that.
a few years ago.. each country treated their athletes as sacred cows and protected them at all costs.. even if they did awful things.
The mentality has changed these years.

Below is the USOC statement in its entirety:

Two U.S. Olympic swimmers (Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger) have given statements to local authorities today regarding the incident first reported on Sunday, August 14, 2016. Their passports have been released and they recently departed Rio.

After providing a statement earlier in the week, a third (James Feigen) provided a revised statement this evening with the hope of securing the release of his passport as soon as possible.

Working in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate in Rio, we have coordinated the athletes' cooperation with local authorities and ensured their safety throughout the process, but we have not seen the full statements provided by Bentz and Conger.

However, we understand that they describe the events that many have seen on surveillance video made publicly available today. As we understand it, the four athletes (Bentz, Conger, Feigen and Ryan Lochte) left France House early in the morning of August 14 in a taxi headed to the Olympic Village. They stopped at a gas station to use the restroom, where one of the athletes committed an act of vandalism. An argument ensued between the athletes and two armed gas station security staff, who displayed their weapons, ordered the athletes from their vehicle and demanded the athletes provide a monetary payment. Once the security officials received money from the athletes, the athletes were allowed to leave.

The behavior of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA or the conduct of the vast majority of its members. We will further review the matter, and any potential consequences for the athletes, when we return to the United States.

On behalf of the United States Olympic Committee, we apologize to our hosts in Rio and the people of Brazil for this distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence.

 

[Gabe1]

I teach in High School where many of the students have there own cars on the campus. We must take attendance each class to make sure some of the Seniors don't skip out during lunch period and decide to never return. This has happened a few times and needed to be reported and addressed with the students and their parents. You are correct once they are in school they should remain on the campus property, but it is hard to stop if a student has their own car on campus unless the school starts taking the students car keys away at the beginning of the day which isn't going to happen.

We have a security guard in the parking lot. Problem solved. They can't get into the lot with out an attendance office pass.

 

[Gabe1]

Last year I took my two personal days and we did a long weekend in November. We got to do Food and Wine (it's last weekend) and Mickeys Very Merry Christmas party. It was great! So it can be done for teachers. The trip was a surprise, I surprised my husband four days before we left. He knew we were going away but he left it was to Minneapolis. It was such fun to surprise him!

Same for our students. They too are afforded personal days just like the staff.

 

[Gabe1]

My girlfriend teaches at the same High School as me(that is how we met)so even though it would be possible I don't know if the administration would be very pleased if two of there teachers would be taking personal days at the exact same time.

That surprises me. Can only one personal day per building be on the same day? We have a ask no questions and you'll be told no lies type of policy for personal days. Kinda personal is personal type thing.

 

[Gabe1]

Only one picture? For the day?! My husband would love traveling with you! He used to get a little perturbed with my constant picture taking, now he jokes about it. But now since I got an article published on another Disney blog site, I just tell him it is for future articles!

Link please

 

[Gabe1]

A few quick Disney notes:

The renovated the rooms at BCV, finally. In case you were wondering, they are no longer ugly. Quite beautiful and nice to be in now, and they have USB charging stations, which is fantastic. The studios also have a pull down bed, so we no longer need to bring the air mattress for my brother. The TVs are also fantastic. We want one for at home. Only complaint is the locks on the bathrooms are still the same (useless).

I know a few people had voiced concerns about going back through MK security after going back for a nap or afternoon swim. We've gone in anywhere between 4-6pm, and usually, there were very few people going through security. Sometimes, we would walk right up to bag check. I wouldn't worry about security if you're planning an afternoon break.

Lines at DHS have been much better lately. The most I saw today was RNRC running 60 minutes. TofT at one point was down to 20, but was mostly running 30-40. TSM was running 40-50 minutes. Do Star Tours last; it runs 40 minutes during the day but is a walk on from about 6 pm on.

Get a FP for Frozen. Soarin' runs about 50 minutes during the day and isn't crowded at night. TT runs a bit higher, but also isn't terrible. Frozen runs anywhere from 90-120 minutes during the day, and the lowest wait I saw was 60 during EMH. BTW, at least try it. It is horribly misplaced, but the technology and the animatronics are amazing.

Thanks for the Tips.