My daughter lives in Jacksonville. She convinced her brother to move down as her roommate so he can help pay the very expensive, rising townhome rent. He's looking forward to the change. While scheduling this tricky move from PA we realized that we had some DVC points that need to be used before the end of the year. My other son is a huge fan of Universal Horror Nights so we hashed it out last night on what we can do. We managed to book AK for three nights and one night at the Grand Floridian. This satisfies both my wife and daughter's wishes. My wife always wanted to stay at an AK Savanah view and my daughter always wanted to stay at the Grand Floridian. We'll schedule Horror Nights for Thursday since we learned from previous visits that it's not as packed as the weekend. Also looking forward to the Food and Wine menu release. We'll be there from 9/15 through 9/19.
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Trip Report Food & Wine/Horror Nights - September
- Thread starter macefamily
- Start date
It was nice to see the play areas were opened up and the kids were back enjoying themselves. As we got to Morocco, it started to drizzle rain. Not too upset because it was cooling, but my daughter didn't want to mess her hair. So we saw the boat was loading up to take passengers across the lake to the Canada drop off. I've probably been to Epcot 30 times, and I've never taken this boat. There's always a first !
![IMG_1963[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1963-1-jpg.657112/ "IMG_1963[1].JPG")
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We just made it across the lake on our boat ride as the skies started looking very ominous. We decided that we'd hightail it to the DVC lounge to hang out and relax. When we got to the check-in we were told there was about a 45 minute wait. I didn't feel like getting caught in a downpour so we meandered around the store. It ended up being about a 20 minute wait.
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As soon as we got up to the lounge and seated, the skies opened up. We sat around for about :45 minutes waiting for the storm to blow through; LOTS of thunder & lighting.
Check out this lady sitting across from us. Shoes off, pulls up another chair so she could lay down. Some people just think of themselves.
![IMG_1966[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1966-1-jpg.657644/ "IMG_1966[1].JPG")
![IMG_1967[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1967-1-jpg.657645/ "IMG_1967[1].JPG")
Check out this lady sitting across from us. Shoes off, pulls up another chair so she could lay down. Some people just think of themselves.
We waited out the storm until it was just back to a drizzle. We decided to slow walk over to Soarin'. The slow-walk was more like a hop as we tried to avoid the puddles.
![IMG_1968[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1968-1-jpg.657674/ "IMG_1968[1].JPG")
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fractal
Well-Known Member
Thanks. Not very much quality.
Check out the "Leaning Tower of Eifel." What are the best seats on Soarin' where you get a 'straight' perspective of the sites you visit ?
![IMG_1987[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1987-1-jpg.657902/ "IMG_1987[1].JPG")
![IMG_1988[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1988-1-jpg.657903/ "IMG_1988[1].JPG")
It was getting late in the day, and after our extended rest at the DVC lounge, we were ready for a few more food samples. First one was the tuna tataki bowl from the Citrus Blossom with Sunshine Wine slushy and a Key Lime Hibiscus Ale. Pretty darn good.
Next was the roasted corn (of course) and salmon verlasso with farro risotto from the Flavor Full kitchen. Good stuff.
I noticed this marker under our table at the Flavor Full kitchen. Wonder what this is for ?
![IMG_1989[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1989-1-jpg.657910/ "IMG_1989[1].JPG")
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Next was the roasted corn (of course) and salmon verlasso with farro risotto from the Flavor Full kitchen. Good stuff.
I noticed this marker under our table at the Flavor Full kitchen. Wonder what this is for ?
We walked around a little while and then decided we would visit one last kitchen....always one of my favorites.....Northern Bloom.
Everything was so good on the menu we ordered all of the mains..beef tenderloin tips with whipped potatoes and the seared scallops with beans and bacon. We also had to try the griddled maple pound cake with peach compote. The beer offerings also looked great so I ordered the small flight...blueberry fruit beer, blond ale, and an apricot with maple syrup blonde ale. All very unique.
We also had some visitors join us at our table.
![IMG_1994[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1994-1-jpg.657912/ "IMG_1994[1].JPG")
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![IMG_1997[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1997-1-jpg.657914/ "IMG_1997[1].JPG")
Everything was so good on the menu we ordered all of the mains..beef tenderloin tips with whipped potatoes and the seared scallops with beans and bacon. We also had to try the griddled maple pound cake with peach compote. The beer offerings also looked great so I ordered the small flight...blueberry fruit beer, blond ale, and an apricot with maple syrup blonde ale. All very unique.
We also had some visitors join us at our table.
erstwo
Well-Known Member
It must be middle middle. I can tell you it's no better in DL! I don't remember the old film being like this - maybe some distortion if you sat on the side but nothing so prominent. Maybe my old mind is failing me though and I've just turned into an old grump remembering 'how things used to be' LOL. It's a bummer the way it is now.
Time to walk off that food and beers. Just a few shots of some amazing topiaries.
![IMG_1998[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1998-1-jpg.657920/ "IMG_1998[1].JPG")
![IMG_1999[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_1999-1-jpg.657921/ "IMG_1999[1].JPG")
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![IMG_2002[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_2002-1-jpg.657924/ "IMG_2002[1].JPG")
And a few more.....
It was starting to rain again so we started our exit from our one day trip to Epcot. Some final pics of some great stuff.
![IMG_2009[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_2009-1-jpg.657940/ "IMG_2009[1].JPG")
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The rain started up again right in time for our trip back to Jacksonville. I don't like driving in any type of precipitation, but we had to get back to my daughter's place. I like the new express lanes on I-4 around Orlando. There wasn't as much traffic in those lanes so I felt safer.
After about 2 hours we made it to the Jacksonville Bucees. I bought my July 4th Bucees shirt and Bucees Florida shirt. Also bought some pulled brisket sandwiches to take back for my son. They were really good.
This is my final post for this trip so I'd like to wrap it up with a few points from the day. The crowds were light. We didn't have any problem finding a table to eat at all day. We've eaten off of many garbage cans in the past; not today.
We saw some pretty odd things during the day. As we were walking by the Flavor Full kitchen, there was a woman changing her bare-butt toddler's diaper right on top of one of the eating tables ! Really ? No respect. There's a pic of the other oddity in one of my previous posts of the barefoot woman in the DVC lounge who pulled up another chair so she can lay down. Again, let's try to exist as a society and not put your own selfish needs ahead of all.
I didn't have many dealings with CM's, but none were positive. I stood at the Magnolia ordering line for five minutes (I was the only one) while four cast members were BS'ing. That booth always gears up for big crowds. There's usually four ordering stations set up. I guess these CM's were bored and not paying attention to customers because it was a slow day. I also overheard a conversation between a CM and a supervisor at another booth. The supervisor was asking about another CM and what time they got into work. The CM told him that the other CM was 20 minutes late.....again. Fleur de Lys was grossly understaffed. They had one person at a register. There were two doing the cooking, and one expeditor. The line was ridiculous.
Of course there were the pockets of hammered people who don't know how to control their drinking; loud, obnoxious, and obscene. I don't know why they keep 30 security guards at the front entrance, but you rarely see any walking the park. Good example of this is the recent brawl at Magic Kingdom. It took security 10 minutes to get there.
All in all the food and drinks were pretty good, but most of all we got to spend the day with our daughter. Spent some time with my son, but that was back in Jacksonville. He's not much for crowds so he rarely visits the parks with us.
That's it. Next planned trip is for a September 15th long weekend.
![IMG_2015[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_2015-1-jpg.657947/ "IMG_2015[1].JPG")
![IMG_2016[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_2016-1-jpg.657948/ "IMG_2016[1].JPG")
![IMG_2019[1].JPG](https://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachments/img_2019-1-jpg.657949/ "IMG_2019[1].JPG")
After about 2 hours we made it to the Jacksonville Bucees. I bought my July 4th Bucees shirt and Bucees Florida shirt. Also bought some pulled brisket sandwiches to take back for my son. They were really good.
This is my final post for this trip so I'd like to wrap it up with a few points from the day. The crowds were light. We didn't have any problem finding a table to eat at all day. We've eaten off of many garbage cans in the past; not today.
We saw some pretty odd things during the day. As we were walking by the Flavor Full kitchen, there was a woman changing her bare-butt toddler's diaper right on top of one of the eating tables ! Really ? No respect. There's a pic of the other oddity in one of my previous posts of the barefoot woman in the DVC lounge who pulled up another chair so she can lay down. Again, let's try to exist as a society and not put your own selfish needs ahead of all.
I didn't have many dealings with CM's, but none were positive. I stood at the Magnolia ordering line for five minutes (I was the only one) while four cast members were BS'ing. That booth always gears up for big crowds. There's usually four ordering stations set up. I guess these CM's were bored and not paying attention to customers because it was a slow day. I also overheard a conversation between a CM and a supervisor at another booth. The supervisor was asking about another CM and what time they got into work. The CM told him that the other CM was 20 minutes late.....again. Fleur de Lys was grossly understaffed. They had one person at a register. There were two doing the cooking, and one expeditor. The line was ridiculous.
Of course there were the pockets of hammered people who don't know how to control their drinking; loud, obnoxious, and obscene. I don't know why they keep 30 security guards at the front entrance, but you rarely see any walking the park. Good example of this is the recent brawl at Magic Kingdom. It took security 10 minutes to get there.
All in all the food and drinks were pretty good, but most of all we got to spend the day with our daughter. Spent some time with my son, but that was back in Jacksonville. He's not much for crowds so he rarely visits the parks with us.
That's it. Next planned trip is for a September 15th long weekend.
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Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
Sounds like it’s going to be great! And in the old days, September was one of our most favorite times to visit. I hear great things about HHN this year including a haunted house with big bugs! To me, this is sounding like it will be the scariest house this year!
pkkurz
Well-Known Member
This is probably way more information than you ever want to know, but my Dad was a surveyor for our local power company so we always made a habit of looking for the markers.
There are several customized and unique land survey markers around the world, but some of the most interesting and sought-after monuments for land survey buffs to observe are the Walt Disney survey markers. They have established unique designs for both Disney World and Disneyland.
Whether Disney is building a brand new hotel, restaurant, or thrill ride, each development project begins and ends with a survey of the land. Therefore, these markers serve a very important purpose in the development and management of the parks today. Disney maintains a staff of about 20 people in the surveying department who use these survey markers, along with GPS, GIS, and AutoCad to map out the utilities and other infrastructure in the parks.
Not only are the Disney land survey markers crucial to the development of the park, they are also fun for visitors to find! The typical Disney visitor would probably not even notice these tiny landmarks hidden right under their feet. Some Disney enthusiasts track and log the location of these survey makers throughout the Disney parks, and have established websites to catalog them and help visitors find them.
MickeyCB
Well-Known Member
So I guess when @macefamily asked what these were, and my thought was, I don't know but I would probably be down there trying to dig it up and take it home, wasn't the nicest?!This is probably way more information than you ever want to know, but my Dad was a surveyor for our local power company so we always made a habit of looking for the markers.
There are several customized and unique land survey markers around the world, but some of the most interesting and sought-after monuments for land survey buffs to observe are the Walt Disney survey markers. They have established unique designs for both Disney World and Disneyland.
The Disney World cap has a mickey mouse symbol with latitude and longitude lines running over the head which represents the earth. The center of the latitude/longitude lines marks the exact center of the disc, which actually has a purpose: surveyors use that center point to place their receiver antenna for a known position when conducting a survey. Another fun fact: for many years, the top of the Cinderella Castle was used as a triangulation point. It worked great because it could be seen from all directions, and it had an established location and elevation.
Whether Disney is building a brand new hotel, restaurant, or thrill ride, each development project begins and ends with a survey of the land. Therefore, these markers serve a very important purpose in the development and management of the parks today. Disney maintains a staff of about 20 people in the surveying department who use these survey markers, along with GPS, GIS, and AutoCad to map out the utilities and other infrastructure in the parks.
Not only are the Disney land survey markers crucial to the development of the park, they are also fun for visitors to find! The typical Disney visitor would probably not even notice these tiny landmarks hidden right under their feet. Some Disney enthusiasts track and log the location of these survey makers throughout the Disney parks, and have established websites to catalog them and help visitors find them.
Getting to visit the Disney on campus jail hasn't been on my bucket list, but....