Trip Report No Sounds Like Summer? We'll JOURNEY Anyway! *COMPLETED*

It was this week last summer that @TrolleyFollower91 and I had an epic girls trip to WDW.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...e-july-journey-completed.917246/#post-7369605

On our first day we rocked to the music of DSB ~ the ultimate Journey tribute band ~ at the America Gardens Theater in Epcot. It was an event we'll always remember. DSB was the final band in the annual "Sounds Like Summer" concert series. The lead singer said the band was looking forward to returning next summer.

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And here we are.....it's "next summer."

But there has been no "Sounds Like Summer" concert series in 2017. :(
No DSB. :arghh:

Don't. Stop. Believin'.

Em and I refuse to go our Separate Ways. We have too much fun together. We have one last chance to do WDW together before school starts and by golly we're gonna do it....even without DSB.

Want to tag along?

Attempting a full-fledged LIVE trip report is daunting and difficult, so I decided to follow @TheMouseFan's lead and be LIVE-ish. Real time pics and updates to be expanded on after my return home.

Oh, and I will finish my currently-in-progress trip report. :D

Who's ready for Summer #2?
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We are!!
 
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Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Monday, July 24

There are a lot of people who consider teaching to be a “cushy” job because “you get the whole summer off.”

(And all you teachers just sighed, “If only!”)

Between post-planning and pre-planning, training for additional certification, a conference and tutoring, Em had exactly two weeks and three days of summer vacation. The first week was spent in semi-park commando mode during our June trip.

This week was all about “ree lax A shee on”. (This may be my toughest pop culture reference yet. ;))

Sleeping in was a must. I would’ve loved to have joined her, but my body clock no longer allows it. On the plus side, I was able to have an extended time of quiet solitude on our balcony and watch the sun rise.
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Our room faced due east but the cloud cover this morning prevented me from solar blindness and melting into a puddle of sweat. (Sadly this would not be the case the next two mornings!) I enjoyed listening to the birds, crickets and boat horns off in the distance. I watched as the resort grounds slowly came to life with a geyser eruption, a sweeping of the pathways by a janitor and a washing of the pool deck by a lifeguard. Soon after a few guests were out walking towards the boat dock. When the resort background music started at 8 am, I decided to go down to Roaring Fork and pick up something for breakfast.

Em was stirring when I returned and we had our chocolate chip muffins, juice and coffee al fresco. We lingered on the balcony for quite a while.

“I like this easing into the day,” Em said.
“Me too,” I agreed.
“Doesn’t work well with our usual rope drop strategy though!” laughed Em.
“No it doesn’t. But wouldn’t it be real Disney magic if it did?!”

Fortunately visiting a park was not on our morning agenda. There was no mad rush to shower, dress and head for the bus stop. The only energy we needed to expend was to put on our swimsuits and make for the pool.

Which we eventually did.

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We’ve never been big fans of the main pool. Its odd shape makes it feel even smaller than it is and there are not many lounge chairs. We preferred the former Hidden Springs quiet pool near the villas ~ though also small, it was typically sparsely populated and we could always find chairs. As I watched the construction and transformation of the Hidden Springs area, I was uncertain how I would like the new Geyser Point pool.

“Like” would be an understatement.
“Adore” would be a much better word!

Not just the size (although this is definitely a case where bigger is better) but the features ~ zero-depth entry, infinity edge, a sitting shelf, rock waterfall, hot tub (or to use the trendy term “spa”), lots of lounge chairs, patio furniture and three free (at least for now) cabanas. To top it off, we still felt that same sense of “tranquility” we used to feel at the Hidden Springs pool.

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(I spy with my little eye....@TrolleyFollower91)

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Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
And since y’all know how fond I am of bathroom pics....

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< In my best Carousel of Progress voice> Isn’t this new bathroom a beauty?

I also took a picture of the Pool Rules sign. There always seems to be an ongoing argument here on the forums about pool usage. A picture is worth a thousand words.

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Unfortunately there will always be those who insist that pool rules don’t apply to them.
 
MinnieM123

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Tuvalu said:
I also took a picture of the Pool Rules sign. There always seems to be an ongoing argument here on the forums about pool usage. A picture is worth a thousand words.

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Good grief--it would take all day to read all the rules, and by the time you finished, the pool would be closed! :jawdrop:

P.S. For some reason I cracked up about the second rule (dial 911). If you're drowning, you're on your own, or if you forgot to bring your phone to call 911, you're also on your own. :rolleyes: :p
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
Original Poster
Em and I spent the remainder of the morning sitting on the pool shelf, not regretting for a moment our decision to skip the parks. We’d return to the shelf again after lunch and probably would have stayed there through dinner if not for a very important FP....but more on that later.

We began to get hungry and dried off. After exiting through the pool gate we explored the grounds before seeking nourishment. To our right was this ~

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These cabins were not yet completed but that didn’t stop us from taking a peek.

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Did we snoop into a window? :cautious:
What do you think?

The railway/mining theme is well done here.
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New boat rental building.
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And the lovely dock.
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We walked down close to the water and saw this ~
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And behind us was Geyser Point Bar and Grill ~ our destination for lunch.

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krisri18

krisri18

Well-Known Member
Tuvalu said:
I also took a picture of the Pool Rules sign. There always seems to be an ongoing argument here on the forums about pool usage. A picture is worth a thousand words.

View attachment 236541
Unfortunately there will always be those who insist that pool rules don’t apply to them.
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Bathing load 145 persons? Maybe if those 145 persons didn't actually want to be able to swim more than 6 inches in any direction...
 

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