Trip Report COMPLETED - Let's do the Time Warp (to 2013) and go find my liver!!

PART ONE - THE JUNE TRIP THAT NEVER HAPPENED

Well......this is probably not a good idea, just cause I don't have a lot of time right now, but most things I do are not good ideas, so this will fit right in perfectly with the rest of my life.

But........ since my 2015 trip report was pretty fun to write, I've since realized that I have enough pics from 2013 that I could write a sequel. Errr......prequel.

However, be warned, that with the exception of Godfather II and Aliens and maybe a few more that I'm not recalling right now, sequels and prequels generally suck, so don't expect too much.

Of course, this particular trip had at least three major disasters, one of which takes place right away, so at least you can expect a bit of drama.

So with that in mind, travel back in time with me two whole years, folks, to the delightful 2013. Miley Cyrus twerked. Anne Hathaway won an Oscar. Reese Witherspoon got arrested for drunk driving, and Lohan went to rehab. As you may recall, it was a VERY eventful year.

And over on Long Island, Phil and Buddy had been saving for the trip to end all trips for over a year. To remind you, Phil does not agree to go to Disney easily, and every time he does, it's like a freaking miracle. He acts very put upon, like it is a great hell for him to go. He acts like he's just agreed to eat a scorpion covered in grape jelly.

This time, we had decided on Yacht Club for June 2013. After a year of planning and saving and reserving restaurants, and waiting, it was finally the day before the trip. And then my phone rang at work.

It was Phil.

His 90++++ grandmother had just passed away.

Trip instantly cancelled.

So that's the end of the trip report folks, thanks for reading.

Kidding.

So, Phil's grandmother had been almost catatonic for a very long time, and although we were not at all expecting this to happen the exact day before we were supposed to leave, we knew it was a possibility. For that reason, we had flight insurance, and that was refunded, and although we did not have insurance for the room (not sure if that even exists), Disney refunded every last penny within 24 hours. They were so cool about the whole thing.

This was a very difficult situation - no one ever wants a Disney vacation replaced by a funeral - Basically happiness replaced by sadness. It was completely awful on so many levels.

Yeah, that's a horrible pic but we were feeling horrible.

Luckily this guy was there to try to cheer us up. He was secretly happy, because he wasn't going to get left alone with a cat sitter for five nights.

Phil and I were both really, seriously sad. Obviously about the death of his grandmother, but also about the ruined trip. I thought we needed something to cheer us up and as it happened, Cinderella (not the Disney version) was playing on Broadway that weekend, and I was able to get discount tickets for about fifth row center. This was kind of a life saver It was uplifting and magical and.....oh, well, please, enjoy for yourselves:



Yeah, that'll do it.

I honestly didn't think we were going to reschedule the trip, but after the show, we were feeling a bit better, and Phil said "Why don't we reschedule it for September?"

And we did.



Coming up -
Phil's birthday is in September and he milks it for every drop
Another insane drink around the world. Bristolsmom/Buzzkillington - beware!
Not So Scary turns scary when two adult males dress like Michael and John from Peter Pan
And the infamous lock out happens!

It all happens this season on.......a Disney trip report

 

[BuddyThomas]

PART 3 - YACHT CLUBS CAN BE FUN, EXCEPT WHEN THEY HAVE ENERGY EFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONERS

So, car service picked us up and we were quickly deposited here:

I had previously stayed at only one deluxe - The Wilderness Lodge (with comedian Mario Cantone in my room, I might add - and you don't know fear until Mario Cantone screams at you to stop snoring in the middle of the night. I huddled under my covers shivering until daybreak. But that is another story.)

Phil had never stayed at a deluxe, and when we walked into the lobby, we were both floored.

This place was amazing.

We checked in without any incident EXCEPT, and keep this in mind because it comes back to haunt this trip report later:
Since I had paid for the bulk of the trip, including the resort, we put Phil's credit card down to be used for Magic Band purchases and incidentals, etc. How do you think that worked out? Free clue: Disaster #2 - but more about that later.

In the meantime, it was time to check out our room. This is not it, but it looked exactly like this so whomever I borrowed this from on the web, please forgive:

When we walked into the room, it was actually hot. Not warm. No luke warm. Hot. This was my introduction to energy efficient air conditioners. The way I understand it is that the air won't turn on unless it senses that someone is in the room. That is fine, I guess, but that doesn't work out too well on a hot summer night.

If two drunken reprobates are passed out cold and motionless, that air ain't comin' on, folks. And it is not fun to wake up in a stifling room that you paid hundreds of dollars a night for in a pool of vodka scented sweat.

Okay rant over. Especially since 2 years later, we got a room without energy efficient air conditioning, which makes no sense at all, but cool!! Literally.

Anyway, the room was great except for the air situation. We were on the first floor, in a standard room, but it was more of a garden view, and a close walk to the pool area, which was the first thing we went to, before our Biergarten dinner.

And it is closing in on 1AM right now so I am ending it here. Next up - Phil puts on his birthday button and we head to EPCOT for a Biergarten dinner, followed by Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom in the middle of the hottest most humid heat we have ever felt, but at least there is an unexpected boat cruise involved as well as a couple of Lapu Lapus.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Happy (day late) birthday to Phil! I still haven't seen Kinky Boots but it's on my list. Did you guys enjoy it? I have to wait for stuff to travel through here, and a lot of seasons come and go without a show I'm interested in Someday!

 

[Tuvalu]

View attachment 110858
(PS - this is one of the most hideous pictures I have ever taken. I'm all cheeks and squinty eyes. I'm one step removed from Gilbert Gottfried, but I'm taking one for the team people. It's all for you, squinty little beady eyes and all. It's all for you!!!!!!!

AFLAC!!!!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

What a beautiful resort!!!

 

[BuddyThomas]

Happy (day late) birthday to Phil! I still haven't seen Kinky Boots but it's on my list. Did you guys enjoy it? I have to wait for stuff to travel through here, and a lot of seasons come and go without a show I'm interested in Someday!

Kinky Boots was awesome. We saw one of Billy Porter's last performances. Wayne Brady takes over for him soon. That should be interesting.

 

[BuddyThomas]

PART FOUR - IN WHICH WE DO SOME OF THE EXACT SAME THINGS WE DID IN THE LAST TRIP ---- ERRR---I MEAN THE FUTURE TRIP

So anyway, how can you stay in a place with a pool area like Stormalong Bay and not dive in as soon as you check into your room? I mean, that area is just incredible. Yes, I know that I am swimming in the pee of 10,000 children, but dammit, I trust Disney to do their job with chlorine and keep us sanitized, so where's the slide already?

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the public swimming areas as I may have mentioned in the last report. It may have something to do with the time I was in a crowded pool and a little kid was bobbing in an inner-tube pretty close by and all of a sudden the water in between us turns bright yellow. AUUUUGGGRRRHHHHHH!! That is honestly the exact moment where I think I became a total germaphobe. I'm not down with swimming in that, and if you think the toddlers don't, unm, "let it go" whenever they feel like it, I might possibly have a very good bridge to sell you somewhere. Of course your kids don't do that. I don't mean them. I mean those other kids. Don't hate me.



How did I get on that topic? Oh, because there was no resisting jumping into Stormalong Bay, as you will see from this video, which I did not film, but I'm sure the YouTube poster will appreciate the extra views:



Yeah. That is an amazing pool area, pee or no pee.

Moving on.

So we had a dinner reservation at Biergarten at 8PM-ish, because that's what time you have to go to dinner if you want to be the last one in the restaurant. I don't want to be the last one in the restaurant, but somehow, per our curse, we always are. Refer to previous report to find out how to be the last one in the restaurant at the Brown Derby at 2PM in the afternoon. Grrrr.

The plan was to do Biergarten and then head to Extra Magic Hours at MK, and that is exactly what happened. Unfortunately, I was not so prepared for a trip report in 2013 because I had not fully discovered all you awesome people and this board, so I don't have any embarrassing dinner outfit pics like last time or anything else, but I can offer you this:

And this:

Please note Phil's birthday button, that he worked for FILTH for the entire trip. That man got more free things than I have ever seen in my life. At this particular dinner, all he got was a card, signed by Mickey and friends, but the freebies kept coming and coming and coming and coming. And me? I got a rock. (Reference to what Charlie Brown always gets for Halloween - meaning I got nothing.)

So Phil put the Biergarten on his Magic Band, meaning it was going to be charged to his card - cause his card was the one on file, right?

Right.

After dinner we headed to the front of EPCOT to take the Monorail to WDW for Extra Magic Hours, and I will be right back with that and the stop we made along the way.

 

[BuddyThomas]

PART FIVE - A LAPU LAPU FOR YOU?

So we had heard about these crazy drinks served in pineapples over at Poly called Lapu Lapus, and if you know anything about Phil or me, you know we cannot resist a crazy drink, so kind of on the spur of the moment, we decided to make a stop by the Poly on our way to Extra Magic Hours to try one of these suckers.

I want to say we got there around 9:30 and although the Tambu Lounge at Poly was not too crowded, it looked like it has recently been. The bar was a real mess and sticky everywhere. There was only one bartender and he looked exhausted and cranky and he actually ignored us for kind of a long time. When we finally were approached, we ordered two Lapus, and he could barely keep from rolling his eyes. I guess these things are a pain in the neck to make, but geez, just do it and be nice. I'm on vacation and I plan to tip you generously.

So they arrived, and I had heard how strong these things were, and....ummmm.....they were weaker than a Shirley Temple. Even BuzzKillingon a/k/a BristolsMom would approve of the total lack of alcohol in an alcoholic drink. It was basically like drinking pure pineapple juice, and nothing else.

Plus, for the price, which I can't recall, but it was at least $12.00 and probably more, there is nothing really in this drink at all. It looks big on the outside, but the pineapple is not hollowed fully, and so it is smaller than you think, and then whatever ghost of a cocktail there might be is inbetween 16 million ice cubes.

Major fail in our opinion. Twenty-four (or more) dollars down the drain. Also on Phil's Magic Band. So to his credit card, right?

Right.

Trust me, this has an epic payoff, although I did not feel that way at the time.

So we had had enough of Lapu Land and decided to head to the Kingdom, finally, for Extra Magic. We were going to take the Monorail, but Phil thought we should take the boat. It actually happened to be waiting there when we arrived. And here is what we saw on our impromptu water ride to the Magic Kingdom:

That was amazing. Seeing the water parade, just by accident, while we were ON the water. This was one of the best moments of the whole trip.

As fro Magic Hours, it was sweltering burning hot, with what really felt like no air at all, and it was also kind of mobbed, which we weren't expecting. So, we walked around a bit and left.

Hey, I told you on the first post that sequels never live up to the originals, so whadaya want?

It gets more interesting in the next chapter, when we drink around the world once again, this time on Phil's birthday. I had a cake ordered for him and everything, but they forgot to.......uh.......well.....it's getting late. I'll have to get into that next time.

 

[worldfanatic]

The Lapu Lapu's I've had before were very potent. I think your bartender was in a mood.
At least the H2O parade was a nice bonus. I've also been surprised by it while on a boat. It really is an amazing way to see it!

 

[MinnieM123]

Kinky Boots was awesome. We saw one of Billy Porter's last performances. Wayne Brady takes over for him soon. That should be interesting.

They also have a national tour of that, and I know that in August, they were also performing in Boston.

 

[MinnieM123]

The Yacht Club is gorgeous; I've walked through the lobby a few times, and out to the nicely landscaped area in the back. That was ridiculous about the a/c though!

Stormalong Bay is an incredibly large, themed swimming complex. (I wish I could go down that slide right now instead of getting ready for work here this morning! )

Never been on the water when the Electrical Water Pageant was floating by--that must have been a magical experience! I love the EWP--such a cheesy, wonderful classic!!

 

[sheriffwoody]

They also have a national tour of that, and I know that in August, they were also performing in Boston.

That's what I have to wait for too This is where I see my shows: http://www.orpheum-memphis.com/ I wish I could go see Cinderella, but I'm got too much junk going on that week.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Stormalong Bay looks ridiculous (the good kind). I'm not even a pool person, but I couldn't resist that! I'm dying to see what the whole deal with Phil's magic band/card is.

Also, I hate that you didn't enjoy Tambu. That's where were go for a break at least once a trip. We usually get a couple of beers though (not cocktail people). The same bartender has been there each year, and he's usually nice.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

That bartender sounds like a real peach...

 

[acrab3t]

My first trip with my son we happened upon the water parade on a boat also. I had no idea it existed. It was at that moment it hit me, I was enchanted. Everything I experienced that day overwhelmed me and I started to tear up. That was when my love affair with Disney began.

The idea of swimming in a public pool freaks me out too, but at Storm-along-bay that can be easily forgotten. Best pool ever! I loved your last TR and am loving this one too. Thank you for sharing.

 

[worldfanatic]

My friend owns a pool cleaning business here in Palm Springs.
He took his family recently to Disney World. I asked him about his view on all the kids (and adults) making "deposits" in the Disney pools.
He laughed and said those pools are so heavily treated every day that there would be absolutely no problem in regularly dipping a cup in the pool and drinking as if from a fountain.

Kinda gross & disgusting....I know.
But somewhat reassuring.

 

[MinnieM123]

My friend owns a pool cleaning business here in Palm Springs.
He took his family recently to Disney World. I asked him about his view on all the kids (and adults) making "deposits" in the Disney pools.
He laughed and said those pools are so heavily treated every day that there would be absolutely no problem in regularly dipping a cup in the pool and drinking as if from a fountain.

Kinda gross & disgusting....I know.
But somewhat reassuring.

Well, that's good to know and thanks for passing the information along. Think I'll pass on the drink, though!

 

[BuddyThomas]

PART SIX - WHERE'S MY CAKE, BEDELIA? I WANT MY CAKE!!!!

Okay, so here we go again.

This is the day that we drank around the world for Phil's birthday. So strap yourselves in, because what follows is the true story of what happens to two adult men who still think they are teenagers when they stop being polite and start getting real. Or something. With photos.

Starting with this one with Phil all cozied up in bed before the festivities began:

He will sleep til 11:00 or later if I allow it, but of course I didn't so the next thing you know we're up, we're attum, and we're ready for business. Phil has his birthday button on and he is ready for birthday shenanigans.

But before we go any further, lemme tell ya a little something about Phil and birthdays. I don't know who did a number on him as a kid but he is absolutely and totally insane about the fact that he has to have a cake for his birthday. I could personally care less if you give me a piece of cornbread and stick a candle in it and call it a day on my birthday, but not Phil. He has to have a cake. It is wacky. If he doesn't get it, he is like that monster from that Stephen King comic/movie, Creepshow. You know, when that thing crawls out of the grave to demand his cake from Bedelia:

Yah, that's Phil all right.

So anyway, you might have guessed from all this cake talk that one year I forgot to get him a cake. Well ----- let's just say that never happened again.

In fact, here is the one he got this year:

That thing is from Momofuku Milk Bar and it was a fortune too. Luckily, the cake monster got his cake and the world did not get destroyed.

Sorry for the sidetrack but I'm bringing this up for a reason, and it will all come to a climax shortly, but back to EPCOT World Showcase drink around the world day.

Oh wait a second - the reason I started talking about cakes in the first place is because I had gone to that "take the cake" thread on here to figure out how to order a birthday cake and have it delivered to a restaurant.

So ----the plan was that after drinking around the world, starting in Canada and ending in Mexico, we would end at La Hacienda de San Angel and there, Phil's cake would be waiting. I had casually asked him one day what his favorite Disney character was, and he looked at me like I had thirteen heads. In other words, he doesn't have a favorite Disney anything. He is a poor little Disney victim who gets dragged there against his will time and time again, and if he doesn't watch it, he's going to have himself a nice little Disney divorce!!!!

Errr...uhh...kidding. It's all good.

Finally and probably just to shut me up, he said his favorite character was Tigger. Fine. I could now order his freaking cake. I don't remember the specifics because this was two years ago and I am practically senile, but it was something like they let you pick some character to be on the cake or something, so I ordered it, paid for it (I want to say it was 3 million dollars, or it just felt like it was), and it was all set. Sigh, Relief. The cake monster is getting his cake.

And okay, with that, we can jaunt back to the report.

So Phil and I are out of bed, showered and ready to go. And we start the day at Captain's Grille.

This place turned out to be one of the coolest surprises of the trip. The food was amazing, as was the service. Phil got these crazy chocolate waffles fir breakfast, and I can confirm from the bite I had that they were outrageously amazing:

But then, because he had his birthday button on, this happened:

So let me get this straight. You're allowed to have chocolate waffles AND a birthday cupcake (not to mention balloon)?!?!? Plus another cake later??? What are we, on vacation or something?!?

Well, I guess we are, and this will be continued shortly.

 

[catmom46]

I love Creepshow - it's hilarious. And Phil looks like a little kid with his balloon and cupcake!

 

[BuddyThomas]

So off we go, and in full sequel (prequel) fashion, let's do exactly the same thing that we did last time! But in reverse order.Last time, we started in Mexico and wound up in Canada. This time, the opposite. So here we begin our trip.

Canada seemed like a good place for one of these:

And without wasting any time, let's head right over to England

And then as we walked along, Phil ran into this lady:

You get one guess why Phil's arm is behind his back. Let's just say Mary doesn't like taking pictures with beers.

Luckily, next was France and we decided to have lunch:

That restaurant was pretty empty (Chefs de France), and it was okay - not great, but ok. But anyway, hold on to your hat because we are on to Morocco!

Followed by Japan:

Errrrr ------looks like we are getting there.......



What's next??

How about some Italy?

And a little more from Phil in Italy:

Followed by Germany:

Yup. That's all she wrote, folks. We seem to be down for the count. But we have more to go. Plus a cake. And I will be back with you very soon.

 

[catmom46]

You know, for someone who claims to not be a Disney fan, Phil always looks so freakin' happy to be there!