Trip Report englanddg's Real Life or is this just Fantasy?

This is the start of the Pre-Trip Portion.

For the Trip Report Portion click here!

Some music to enjoy as you read...



It's been two years. But, we are finally going back. I suppose I should introduce myself.

I'm @englanddg and the kiddo is Kaylee or KK. I'm old, she's young (10), and we like Selfies.​

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I've been going to Disneyworld since 1983, where my parents took me and we stayed in Contemporary for the opening of EPCOT. This fostered an enjoyment of all things Disney (but especially the parks) that has lasted to this day. In the late 80's to mid-90's I had a Floridian Annual Pass and went 3 - 4 days a week most summers. I've also been to Disneyland California, which I adored, and on a Disney Cruise.

The kiddo has been to WDW 4 times, Universal once, and on one Disney Cruise (Fantasy - Western Caribbean).

Last year was a rather rough year, and I had to cancel my plans for our normal trip, as well as a family trip with my Grandfather. But, things are now back on track, and I'm back to doing Trip Reports!

This thread will be where I post pre-trip / packing / plans (and plan changes) / updates for the trip. At the end of this thread I will again attempt to do a daily trip report as seen with my Surf and Turf Adventure, which may be found here.​

Note, it is missing the last day. I will finish that and the video for that trip (which is halfway done) before the coming trip, and will post in that thread.

MDE set up, Magic Bands customized and ordered!

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Yeap, I bleed orange!

Current plans (booked) are as follows.
Friday - August 7 - Fly to DC (Reagan) and meet the kiddo. Take the Metro to a hotel (not yet booked) in Crystal City / Pentagon City.

Saturday - August 8 - Tour the Smithsonian and the National Mall with the kiddo. The last time we did this we did the Capital Tour. I think this time we'll try and do the White House or the Washington Monument (or both). Air and Space is a must, as both the kiddo and I have a thing for planes and space (ok...I may have influenced her tastes a bit with that...addicting her to Star Trek young...nah...that couldn't have anything to do with it...)

Sunday - August 9 - Fly to Orlando (MCO) mid-morning. Take a taxi to Leow's Portofino Bay Resort at Universal Studios. Hang out around the hotel pool (the kiddo now has 2 years of swimming lessons under her belt, the last trip she was just learning how to swim properly, and it's something we continued through Red Cross Swimming classes after the trip).

Then we'll walk Citywalk, grab dinner somewhere. Probably this place, because it intrigues me:​



But, the kiddo and I will just play that by ear.

Then go see Blue Man Group that night. This is a redo of a failed Blue Man Group experience we had last trip to Universal.

The whole experience is noted in my 2012 trip report, but the long and short of it is that it was rainy, the kiddo and I were soaked, and the twinkie stuff (mushed banana) getting splattered on her (we were front row, center seats, so we got the brunt of it) was just too much. The kiddo's mood was shattered, and she frumped the rest of the concert. So...now she's a bit older (and I'm smart enough to bring better ponchos to the show!), so we are gonna try it again.

I will contact Blue Man's Box Office directly to get the front row seats again. Maybe she'll get another Shadow Drum Painting?​



Monday - August 10 - IoA

Breakfast at the Three Broomsticks before opening. Then enjoy the park. No Dining Plan this time (though they did change it since my 2012 trip...in 2012, it certainly was NOT worth it). I want to try and have an early dinner at Mythos. But, we'll play it by ear. I do want to have a dagwood sometime on this trip as well. :hungry:

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Head over to Universal at some point through the Hogwarts Express (I've heard we need to experience it going both ways, that the "show" is different, so...) Hang out there and catch the Cinematic Spectacular Nighttime Show.

Tuesday - August 11 - Whatever Universal

Basically, just go spend time in the parks. No special plans. She is finally tall enough for all the coasters, so I guess I'll have to brave Rip Rocket! Hope it doesn't get stuck! ;)



Wednesday - August 12 - Morning at Universal, head over to our next stop mid afternoon.

I have 3 day tickets at Uni, so since we likely won't be back for another few years, we'll spend most of the day meandering through the parks.

However, we have places to go and meals to eat (a late dinner at Jikos).

So, picking up a taxi from Portofino, we'll head over to Animal Kingdom Lodge. I got a stellar deal on a Club Level room with a view of the Arusha Savanna. We'll have a late dinner at Jiko, and then nibble on club level goodies as we attempt to spot animals on the Savanna from our balcony with my new toy (ordered yesterday).

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That's a Bushnell Equinox Z Day/Night Monocular. It is capable of Image Capture and even records video. Should be fun!

Thursday - August 13 - Magic Kingdom

Breakfast at Cindy's at 8:05, and it's morning EM hours that day, so we'll head off to the rides after that. Can't wait to try out the Mine Train!

Lunch at Be Our Guest. I do hope they serve the Gray Stuff at Lunch service. I've heard it's delicious (I asked the dishes).

Dinner at Tony's Town Square. This is actually the first time that we've eaten there. I generally avoid Italian at Disney aside from EPCOT after a pretty poor experience at Mama Melrose a few years back, but I think it's worth a shot. I looked up pictures of it and I think it's worth a try!

Friday - August 14 - EPCOT

Breakfast at Cape May. Another new one for us. Then we'll hike through the International Gateway (rear entrance) of EPCOT.

Lunch at Teppan Eto

Dinner at Le Cellier

Saturday - August 15 - Leaving...or are we?

Ok, I played this trick on the kiddo last trip (and she wasn't too happy until she realized what was going on). After a breakfast at Boma, we're gonna head off to catch our transport. To where, you may ask?

Here... (and so this is the Real Life and it is Fantasy?)

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Got a veranda midship room, which is great. Last time I stayed in room 9172, which is aft with an oversized veranda. It was very nice, but one of the complaints I had was the vibration and noise from the engine during at sea days. And, since this cruise has a LOT of at sea days, I'm glad to be midship in room 6558. And, now that I know the ship better (I was SO LOST last time), I really like that placement.

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Sunday - August 16 - At Sea

Well, it's a day at sea. Which means...we do...whatever we want! The last cruise, once I got used to the vibe of a cruise, I found the at sea days were the most enjoyable. This Eastern Caribbean itinerary offers 4 days (including departure day) at sea, and I'm excited for that!

Monday - August 17 - At Sea

Ditto above. Catch a show, maybe a movie, play the interactive games, and enjoy the free food. :hungry:

The kiddo adored the kid's club last time, so I think I'll try and do Remy or Palo one of these days.

Tuesday - August 18 - St. Maarten

No idea, no plans. As I posted in the Disney Cruise forum, there are no Port Excursions listed for this port, so I guess we'll just make it up as we go along?

Wednesday - August 19 - St. Thomas, St. John

This is where I'm actually a bit torn. My daughter has family who live on St. Thomas who haven't seen her since she was 2, so we may meet them for Lunch or something. I haven't decided on an excursion (if we do one) either.

Thursday - August 20 - At Sea

Yeap, more chillaxing!

Friday - August 21 - Castaway Cay

Last trip, we just stayed on board. This time, I'm hoping to get out and we'll at least rent some bikes and snag some beach time!

Saturday - August 22 - Back on land...

<sigh>...tanned and fed, we'll head back on land, but the adventure isn't over yet! We'll hop the Magical Express back to our next and final leg of our journey...

Art of Animation!

We stayed at Pop the year this opened, and the kiddo really wanted to swim in the Nemo pool, but we couldn't (no pool hopping, tsk tsk...but at AoA with their keycard access gates, they take it REALLY seriously!)

At some point we'll head over to Hollywood Studios. We have a late lunch at Sci Fi Dine In (the Kiddos favorite, and frankly mine too...even over <gasp> Brown Derby!)

And a late dinner at 50's Prime Time, before heading over to see Fantasmic.

Sunday - August 23 - Go see the animals...

Ok, I dunno why this seems to happen every trip, but Sundays just "work" for Animal Kingdom.

Breakfast at Tusker House

Lunch at Yak and Yeti

Dinner at ?, then back to the hotel to chill out and relax around the pool!

Monday - August 24 - Disney Springs / Water Park

Here we'll hit up Typhoon Lagoon, and do some last minute shopping! I think we'll skip La Nouba this go around.

Breakfast somewhere...?

Lunch at T-Rex (ugh, I don't like the Landry's restaurants, but this is the kiddo's favorite, so this is for her)

Dinner at Raglan Road (yeah, that's for me...my second favorite (Bongo's is my favorite) at DTD).

Tuesday - August 24 - The end...see ya real soon!

Breakfast at Ohana (Tonga Toast!)

Lunch at Cindy's Royal Table

3pm Parade (Festival of Fantasy) and then a late flight back to DC where I'll crash overnight before heading back to ATL the next day.

So, there you have it! More to come later, but feel free to join in and chime in with any ideas / suggestions you may have!

So excited to be going back!

 
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englanddg

One Little Spark...
Original Poster
Day 2 - Ain't it Great to be Lazy?

<an actual custom video will replace this later, this is a soundtrack marker until I get my editing software up and going>


----------------
Magic - Just relaxing
Memories - Doing her Nails
Meh - Unforeseen Hotel Expenses and a Hold on the Card
Step Team - 16,828 SW, 8.16 MW, 159 AM, 3283 CB
----------------

Well, today went nothing like planned. I only got a few hours sleep after dealing with what the TSA did to my luggage for the FE group last night...



This caused quite a few issues. First, I had planned to separate out the FE gifts into three different suitcases. Spreading the load, added by my kiddos rather light load, should mean that we have 3 suitcases, two of which are "extra" with Jet Blue (our next carrier) and two of which are included (Jetblue UNLIKE Delta doesn't charge you for your first checked bag...one more reason to fly Jet Blue, I think, it's just that Delta beats their rates so much out of ATL, even with the fees that they charge).

Well, I've decided to leave the TSA labels alone, at least until we get to Florida. We have one more flight left. But, again, I'm getting ahead of myself. So, lets back up to this morning!

I...didn't sleep very long or very well. I don't know if it was excitement or what, but I just couldn't sleep, and I woke up very early. The kiddo, on the other hand, did not have that issue at all!



She has always slept this way. Blanket over her face and head. She didn't want to sleep under the hotel blankets, and I didn't understand it at first, but after I spent a few hours under them, I understood completely. They...get really hot...really fast. So, her blanket is fine!

Anyhow, I decided to finish the trip post for yesterday, and go ahead and install the webcam to test it before AKL later this week.



Immediately I ran into my first issue. To configure the camera, you need to connect it to Wifi, and the hotel Wifi has a "login page" to activate a new device. Well, there's no "web browser" on this device that I can access, so I couldn't get it going. So, I connected it to my own mobile hotspot.

What am I talking about? This.



This is a device that allows me to connect from pretty much anywhere, and it floats between networks. It does a lot of other thing, but for the form factor is a rather powerful device to guarantee I have internet pretty much any where I go (well, outside of the cruise, I doubt it would work well out there!).

As I piddled around, it woke the kiddo up, and she decided she wanted to have a long morning...she wanted to take a bath. Now, mind you, it was already 8a at this point.

So, as she bathed, I ran out to the store to get some sodas (cheaper than the stuff they sell here, jeezus, they really kill you here in the hotel shop. $3 for a 20 oz soda? PLUS they don't have classic coke? Meh...)

But, it was a beautiful morning! And, the weather was nice!



Anyhow...when I got back from a very frustrating walk around Crystal City that lasted about a half hour just to find a convenience store (I eventually found a 7-11). Ok, see, here's the issue. Crystal City, as I understand it, is largely a commuter city. While it swells M-F during working hours to hundreds of thousands of people, it shrinks to less than 20k at night (thanks @Voxel for that insight). As a result, there ARE shopping centers, but they are not centered around a massive residential community. As a result, they tend to shut down early, and they tend to be centered not around where the residences and hotels are (my hotel is surrounded by condominiums, for example), but rather be centered around areas where they can target commuters. This doesn't bother the locals, as they know where these places are (and, now that I know, they really aren't all that inconvenient), but for someone NOT familiar with the area, wow...they were really hard to find! I felt more lost here, both this trip and the last, than I ever did in NYC, for goodness sake!

When I got back I took my shower, and the kiddo and I headed down for breakfast!



And by now...the line was huge!



This is probably due to the fact the breakfast is free. And, they even have a poster in each elevator that tells you about the "breakfast rush hour", recommending you eat between 7a and 8a (that's green), it's worst at 8a to 9a (that's yellow), and basically making it seem that you shouldn't come between 9a and 10a (that's red) with foreboding language.



Well, now I know WHY they post it! We came down at 9:30 "ish" am! And...wow, the line was incredibly long!

But, it moved quickly!



The offerings had a nice setup. The "wok" style displays with covers are a really neat system that I hadn't seen before. And, it didn't seem to have the condensation or burning issues that more standard "catering/buffet" style breakfast setups I've seen have. There is a spot in the back that will make you a custom omelet, but the line for this was longer, and while I wanted one, I decided not to today. I was feeling tired, and I really just needed food and coffee. Mostly the latter!



Now, lets talk about the food. For a free breakfast, I'm not complaining. The kiddo loved the cereal options (which is the only thing in this picture that wasn't for me).



First though, lets go through my items.

The bacon was the standard paper style bacon you get in buffets like this where one in every 5 pieces is really worth anything. Thin, but not crispy, with low fat and low flavour!

The sausage links were the same, but I like sausage links. So...

The eggs, likewise, were pretty bland, but with some salt and tabasco tasted good. One thing I liked about them was that they avoided the rather common "runniness" or wet bases that you find with a lot of eggs served in this way, these were pretty fluffy. Not as nice as fresh scrambled, but not bad at all.

The kiddo got REALLY excited about them. She apparently now loves scrambled eggs. Who knew? (these are the sort of things you miss by not being with someone day to day)...but good to know. I can't wait until she gets back to Cabana's on the Fantasy...they had AMAZING eggs!)...

But, lets move on. The pancake (called a flapjack on the sign, and I'm not sure what the difference is, frankly) was...ok. I probably won't get another one tomorrow. Tasted like it was made from a mix, and...it probably was. Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix or Bisquick maybe? It was just...too smooth and didn't taste as hearty as I like pancakes to taste, personally. But, again, for a free breakfast, can't really complain, can I? :p



The biscuits, which are coated in a nice sawmill gravy, were decent. Not as good as say, the Hardee's version. And certainly not as good as homemade, but I've had worse! A touch of pepper and some tabasco really helped these out a lot as well.

Two items left. Only two...and both...were terrible. Both the kiddo and I agreed on this! The first is the bowl in the upper right. This was supposed to be "Cheese Grits". Now, I'm from the south, I suppose. I've spent the last 20 years here largely... And, technically, I'm in Virginia, so this is supposed to be the "south". So, grits are sortof something that I'm quite familiar with, I didn't like at ALL when I first moved to the South (I preferred Cream of Wheat, which is what I grew up with, and was made fun of for putting butter and sugar in grits for years before I finally understood the tasty goodness that is a hearty grits recipe). Anyhow...these...were inedible. I don't mean they weren't seasoned properly. I don't mean they were old (though they did taste like last weeks leftovers)...they were just terrible.

Then we move onto the potato wedges (or "hash browns"...no, those are not "hash browns"...). These were cooked really well, and looked delicious...but were so severely over-salted they make a potato chip taste like a raw potato. Due to this puckering saltiness, they were inedible.



The kiddo had a better selection. She added on some french toast (two slices, but she snagged and ate the first one before I could get back with syrup for it!). The French Toast wasn't bad, but some of the slices were a bit soggy. So, tomorrow I'll check them before serving...just flip them over and check the bottoms...but, she enjoyed it, and that is all that matters!

The kiddo had a small glass of 2% milk, a glass of sprite (um, ok, well...ok...) and a glass of OJ. I had coffee and OJ. Her drinks were great...mine...well, the coffee was great.

My OJ though...well...here, take a look!



So, breakfast done, we decided to head over to Pentagon City to do some shopping! She didn't want to go to the National Mall, as I offered. And, to be frank, I didn't either. I wanted to run some errands. And, I wanted a haircut (an errand I couldn't get done the day before). There was still plenty of time for us to hit up the American Indian museum so I can eat at the restaurant there (which was something I wanted to do) and hit up our tickets for the Washington Monument later. So, I said ok!

Looking at my map, I decided it wasn't worth going to Crystal City Metro and taking the subway to Pentagon City, as it was a rather short walk!



The kiddo agreed, but as we headed there, she came upon the shared bike system that they use here, and she REALLY wanted to do that. I said, we don't have helmets, but she said "so"? I said, the biked don't fit you (not that I'm worried about her riding, but rather the sudden stops and control required to bike in a cosmopolitan environment...you must be able to stop on a dime, or a driver...and Crystal City drivers are a bit...odd...I swear they are mixed with Floridians (I kid I kid)...anyhow, I just didn't see it as safe.

But, the kiddo was insistent...until she sat on one of the bikes. Then...she got it...because, she couldn't get off. Yeah, I had to LIFT her off the bike! :p



So, we continued our walk.

<Continued Part 2>
 
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englanddg

One Little Spark...
Original Poster
Good lord what did the TSA do to those packages !
No lasting damage really. Opened each one and "repackaged it" poorly, and rifled my carefully laid out case packing it all back in, which due to weight, I think led to rough handling by baggage handlers and a few damaged items.

Mind you, I have over 100 individual packages in that bag (for a group of 12 staterooms)...long story, which will make a LOT more sense once I get to WHAT the gifts are! But, I don't want to give them away quite yet (figuratively and literally!).

I get to that a bit in part 2...coming up!
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
I'm amazed by all of your details about everything! Question: I didn't quite understand the part about the bicycles. The picture of your daughter on the bike looked o.k., and I can't figure out why she had to be lifted off. Was the seat too high, perhaps?

The "free" breakfast looked very good, with the exception of just the two items that you didn't like. Usually, a free breakfast in a hotel is more of a continental spread, versus a cooked, hot breakfast. Smart choice picking that hotel! Nice, view, too. As for all the computer things you do, that's way over my head, but I'm glad that someone understands all that stuff! :)
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
Original Poster
Day 2 - Ain't it Great to be Lazy (Part 2)

So, as we walked to Pentagon City, the kiddo decided to instruct me in the nuances of crosswalk safety.



Thank you Captain Safety! These crosswalks must be some of the most annoying ones I've ever come across (I mean that in a good way actually). How so? Well, they have a lot of auditory and visual responses. The ones I'm used to, press the button, the red hand turns to the white walker (NOT a Game of Thrones reference), and you cross...when the time is about to run out, the red hand comes back but is flashing. This is the system most of the country has used for decades.

Well, not here. Here, the crosswalks talk to you. The countdown meter is auditory as well, with beeps and all sorts of things that are really hard to explain. Combine that with crossing times that are incredibly short, and it makes every pedestrian who pays attention to them feel paranoid all the time.

Probably the designers intention, and a good one. However...the end result, in my observation, is that most just ignore the crosswalk signals altogether as a result. Sort of "comfort through exposure" sort of thing, I'd imagine, but I'm not a psychologist or any other sort of expert by any means. But, seems to me a very expensive system...that no one heeds, unless you are a child, or you are not used to it.

Along the way we happened upon a nice restaurant that serves Philly Cheese Steaks. I suggested we eat here.



But, to my dismay, the kiddo disapproved. I suppose she doesn't like her cheesesteaks with a side of fried roach legs and salmonella? Party pooper (yes, there is a double meaning to that...and no it wasn't intended!).

We passed by a gardened area that was obviously constructed in the 70s / early 80s...back when whatever the term for that "style" was that was popular with government buildings (and this really looked like at one point it was a DoD building) is called. But, it reminded the kiddo of something else. Epcot.

She remarked "Doesn't this remind you of the garden area where Chip and Dale will hide away in that little corner section (she's referring to just outside of Communic....er....Innoventions West, just past the Character Spot as you head to the Land).

And, you know, she's sortof right!

After she mentioned it, I saw it. Do you?



So, Pentagon City...well, I suppose I should explain what that is. It's a large shopping mall located across (quite literally) the street...well, the Interstate, from the Pentagon. Hence the name. It was my favorite mall growing up, and as a young WEBELOS scout I actually would work the doors there for donations for our troop during holidays (we would open doors for people, and we had a small donation stand off to the side). I loved that mall as a kid, and it is actually one that many may recognize, whether they realize it or not...thanks to this movie...



First Kid...A Disney Production starring Sinbad as a secret service agent assigned to the President's Son.

I made an appointment to get my hair cut (really all I wanted was a nice trim and cut with clippers. I normally cut my own hair, which the hairdresser actually complimented me on, but it's really hard to do the ear and necklines by yourself, and I wanted this done).

While I was setting that up, the kiddo walked to the McDonald's next door to get a soda...but the McDonalds was just full of dummies, because they not only gave her a Fruit Punch, they made her wait nearly 10 minutes for it (yeah, she was assigned a number they called out to come back and pick up her drink...what?)...

Basically, it was shopping. We stopped by Claire's and the kiddo picked up some nail polish, we looked at clothes, some of which the kiddo tried on.



We checked out a toy store and I almost walked out with a bunch of these (instead made a note to look for them online...



THEY are really cool. Basically small metal models of Star Wars vehicles. Google them...

(paging @sshindel , @Voxel !)

Yeah, I would have walked out with a bunch of them if I didn't have the packing issues to get back to...but when things calm down, I will be looking for them!

Then it was off to CVS to pick up some packing materials and tape so I can repackage and repair the damage TSA did before we give out our FE gifts. One thing I noted about this CVS is...it used to be the Children's Section of a Barnes and Noble (or some other bookstore...maybe a Books a Million?)...and while the kiddo doesn't remember this, her favorite book for me to read for her was bought here...off a shelf on a wall that is now jsut behind the cash registers...now? It's a drug store.

<Continued Part 3>
 
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englanddg

One Little Spark...
Original Poster
I'm amazed by all of your details about everything! Question: I didn't quite understand the part about the bicycles. The picture of your daughter on the bike looked o.k., and I can't figure out why she had to be lifted off. Was the seat too high, perhaps?

The "free" breakfast looked very good, with the exception of just the two items that you didn't like. Usually, a free breakfast in a hotel is more of a continental spread, versus a cooked, hot breakfast. Smart choice picking that hotel! Nice, view, too. As for all the computer things you do, that's way over my head, but I'm glad that someone understands all that stuff! :)
The seat was it it's lowest position, and while she could climb on due to the frame, she couldn't really climb off comfortably at all (had to do with petal position). Were she a bit more agile, perhaps, but it was just easier to lift her off. And, evidence to me the frame was grossly oversized for her stature and that we shouldn't rent a bike...though that would have been fun.

Anyhow, about the bikes.

It's a program called "Capital Bikeshare". Basically the area is littered with these automated kiosks. If you want a bike, you put down a deposit with your card and it tracks your time on the bike. Under 30 minutes, it's free. You can return it to the same station, or another station in the network. Basically it allows you to "rent" a bike and travel the area using said bike. Very neat...not sure how successful it's been though. Here, it seems to work, but I've heard horror stories about similar programs (in fact, I'm pretty sure ATL tried one a few years back with little to no success...the bikes were worth more as scrap than the fee charges, and criminals just stole them).

That said, still a very neat concept.

More info may be found here:

http://www.crystalcity.org/accessible/bicycle/capital-bikeshare
 

catmom46

Well-Known Member
No clue. I will ask her tomorrow. She'll probably say "Justice" or something. She's really into Monster's High these past two years.

Cool, thanks! I just looked at the Justice website and didn't see them. I'd never even heard of that store, but apparently there are several within a 25 mile radius. I think Monster High has now replaced Hello Kitty fashion-wise for my DD.
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
Original Poster
Day 2 - Ain't it Great to be Lazy? (Part 3)

Once back at the hotel, I was exhausted. Walking, and little sleep...well, I figured...I wanted a nap.

No...lets rephrase. I NEEDED a nap. So, I set an alarm for 2p, and let the kiddo play (she's old enough to do that now, one of the nice things about her being 10 is she isn't very likely to get herself into unforeseen troubles, though I wouldn't leave her alone or unattended for extended periods, me taking a nap is fine, in my view.)

And, it was a great nap. The kiddo played with my iPad (installing gosh knows how many games), and did whatever she did (which involved eating a small bag of Cheetos and drinking a pepsi and watching TV, I suspect). I slept great, but when I woke, I noted it was nearly 4p!

I asked the kiddo what had happened, and she said "You told me to turn off the alarm!". Well, I don't remember that at all...so, I guess I really did need the sleep?

Who knows, but I felt much better. However, this caused an issue. See, most of the offerings around the Federal Mall closed at 5:30 or 6p, with the exception of Air and Space. And, while I really wanted to go see them, my Kiddo...did not. Not that she couldn't have been convinced, but you must remember, she lives here, and had been to those exact museums not even a month ago.

So, her suggestion was, we rest and order room service. And, I agreed.

While I was a tad bummed to miss out on sunset from the Washington Monument, it's not that big a deal. The tickets cost me $6 (technically, they were "free", but "processing" was $3 per ticket). So, we decided to skip it all. Again, not according to plan, but according to need. And, that's what a vacation should be sometimes, imho.

So, off to Room Service!



The kiddo decided she wanted to place the order, and we both hadn't had anything to eat today since breakfast, so our eyes were a bit larger than our stomaches.

We got "BEER-BBQ Wings", "Double Pepperoni Pizza", the "Bacon Jam Burger" with fries, a side of Mac and Cheese and a Chocolate Cake for dessert.

WAY too much food in retrospect, but we did decide to eat it all Family Style and share portions.

As we waited, I helped the kiddo paint her nails with her new nail polish and we applied her nail stickers, something she enjoyed.



And, then the food arrived!

The BEER BBQ Wings are described as a "house bbq grilled jumbo chicken wings with spicy wing butter, carrots, micro celery and blue cheese dip". Well, I didn't see the celery, and I have no idea what "spicy wing butter" is, but it sure isn't spicy. However, the wings were decently tasty, and I give them an A for Presentation!



They were quickly devoured. Though, the blue cheese was a cheap style that tasted more like ranch, frankly (in fact, I'm fairly certain it WAS ranch...but...still good.)

Next we split up the Mac and Cheese. "Creamy cavatappi & cheeses with cheesy breadcrumbs". I suppose, if "cheesy" means "burnt mixed with soggy". Getting past that layer of breadcrumbs though, it was ok. Could've used some garlic and salt, imho. Or, some stronger cheddar added to the sauce to give it some bite.





Now, onto the burger. The burger was for me, the fries were for her. And, this burger was...pretty darned good! "Grilled to order steak cut burger, blue cheese, bacon jam (what is "bacon jam?"), tap sauce (this is a "signature sauce" for the restaurant, which I couldn't make out it even being there), iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion on a potato bun. It wasn't nearly (not even close) to as good as the burger I had yesterday, but it still hit the spot.



The fries, however, were markedly better than yesterdays fries!

And lastly, the pizza. "A serious pepperoni pizza with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, shaved pecorino, fresh basil on a wood fired crust."



And, this lived completely up to it's name. And, it was AMAZING. Now, I'm a bit of a pizza guy. I worked in a pizza restaurant for years, I love to make pizza fresh from scratch at home. And, I couldn't stop eating this. It was fantastic. The kiddo, however, was turned off by the basil until she tried a slice, and then concurred, quickly devouring probably one or two more slices than she should, but hey, it's vacation. Have at it kiddo!



The Chocolate Cake is an "old fashioned chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream and a white chocolate sauce"...

And, I hate to say it but...this was inedible. It didn't hit you at first. At first you think, ok this is just a really strong dark chocolate flavour. But, after a few seconds, it hits you. It was the "Beverly" of chocolate cakes. Too strong, not sweet enough, and to make matters even worse, the "cake" portion was soggy due to the fact they delivered it with melted ice cream (the picture was taken soon after delivery).



Her Mom showed up around now with her little sister, and they played for a bit while her Mom and I sewed up all the final plans. See, her mother had forgotten the kiddo's toiletries, her cowboy hat for Wed's Horseback Ride and was also doing me a favor and bringing another suitcase for me to further distribute the "load" to avoid weight overage charges with Jet Blue...

And, as a side note, her little sister and her Mom both tried the chocolate cake, and had the same reaction we did. Inedible! I didn't think a chocolate cake could be messed up, even more so by a restaurant...but...well...new experience I suppose?

Her Mom and Little Sister left, and while getting ready for bed, the the kiddo discovered the webcam, and she wants to say 'goodbye' to everyone this morning when we head out, so I'll leave the cam up until then at her request.



Also, as I actually wore the same outfit today (I'm just trying to get to Florida this point, and part of why I'm wearing these clothes is they are the heaviest or bulkiest of my clothes...frankly, I can't wait to change when we get to Portofino tomorrow (er...today, I guess!).

But, here's a picture of my Star Trek shirt, as promised!



Tune in Tomorrow (or later today) for your next exciting episode (I guess? Can I consider these "episodes"? <shrug>)
 
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MinnieM123

Premium Member
The seat was it it's lowest position, and while she could climb on due to the frame, she couldn't really climb off comfortably at all (had to do with petal position). Were she a bit more agile, perhaps, but it was just easier to lift her off. And, evidence to me the frame was grossly oversized for her stature and that we shouldn't rent a bike...though that would have been fun.

Anyhow, about the bikes.

It's a program called "Capital Bikeshare". Basically the area is littered with these automated kiosks. If you want a bike, you put down a deposit with your card and it tracks your time on the bike. Under 30 minutes, it's free. You can return it to the same station, or another station in the network. Basically it allows you to "rent" a bike and travel the area using said bike. Very neat...not sure how successful it's been though. Here, it seems to work, but I've heard horror stories about similar programs (in fact, I'm pretty sure ATL tried one a few years back with little to no success...the bikes were worth more as scrap than the fee charges, and criminals just stole them).

That said, still a very neat concept.

More info may be found here:

http://www.crystalcity.org/accessible/bicycle/capital-bikeshare

Gotcha. I had a feeling the bikes were sized more for adults. That's too bad; it would have been fun for you and your daughter to go riding together. Then again, without helmets, and dealing with vehicular traffic, I'm not so sure it would have been safe. (If you want to rent bikes once you get to WDW, I know there are a few places you can do that, and they would definitely have children's bikes.)

Anyway, they have a (somewhat) similar program in Boston, MA, with the bike rentals. I don't think any of it is free, but they are very reasonable and have various drop-off points in the city. Heard it's been successful in the 1-2 years it's been there.
 
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catmom46

Well-Known Member
Your kiddo and my DD would probably be good friends (although mine is 3 years younger, she loves hanging with older kids), as she also likes having her nails done, playing on the iPad/watching TV, eating cheetos, and room service! Plus she would've wanted to ride the bikes as well. :D
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
Original Poster
Gotcha. I had a feeling the bikes were sized more for adults. That's too bad; it would have been fun for you and your daughter to go riding together. Then again, without helmets, and dealing with vehicular traffic, I'm not so sure it would have been safe. (If you want to rent bikes once you get to WDW, I know there are a few places you can do that, and they would definitely have children's bikes.)

Anyway, they have a (somewhat) similar program in Boston, MA, with the bike rentals. I don't think any of it is free, but they are very reasonable and have various drop-off points in the city. Heard it's been successful in the 1-2 years it's been there.
Currently the plan involves renting Bikes (properly sized and with included safety equipment and no crazy drivers) at Castaway Cay...so we may still have that experience. My kiddo, obviously, enjoys riding her bike.
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...
Original Poster
@englanddg. I'm know gonna start keeping track of every time you tag me in one of your post.
Speaking of which I should probably work on my Disneyland trip report
Hah, well, I thought those star wars thinggs were some of the best things Ive ever seen...

They were really cool in person!
 

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