Sleepybear's change of pace trip report

My boyfriend, Mike, had a conference just outside WDW the first week of June. I, of course, tagged along. Since we normally go in October, we predicted two things: It would be hotter and more crowded than we were used to. (Happily, only one of those predictions came true.) And since we're going again in December for another conference, we also knew there was no need to exhaust ourselves trying to see and do everything. So we decided that we'd do something different this trip: RELAX.

Wed., June 2

Since relaxation was the goal, we wanted a lot of space. And since Mike would be at the conference during the day, I wanted easy access to other resorts and theme parks. We chose Beach Club Villas, which we had never stayed at before. It was very nice.

The service was excellent. It started when we stopped at the front gate and said we were checking in. When we rolled up to the front door with our luggage, a cast member was there to greet us by name. He then led us to the check-in desk, where we were told we had a view of Spaceship Earth.

We got a great AP rate on the villas, but there were no studio rooms available. So we booked a one-bedroom. It was HUGE for just two people. The balcony was ridiculously wide, we had a full kitchen and everything was spacious and comfy.

There were only two drawbacks to the room. The first was the weird bathroom set-up, which had more doors than a French farce. The second was that, other than subtle characters on the bedspread and curtains, the themeing was a bit too beach-generic for my tastes. It felt like a beach rental that could be found anywhere and not like a room at WDW.

But I really liked the Yacht and Beach Club overall. It had some great quiet places and some very interesting architecture, like the Breezeway in the villas building.

Plus it was perfect for relaxation. On the first day there, I roamed the resort and found the rocking chairs on the veranda that faced Stormalong Bay and the lagoon. It was great to just sit there, read, have a drink and watch the usual mid-afternoon storm approach. I also had my coffee there in the mornings. I loved it.

Because of the conference schedule, we didn't go to the parks that day. Instead, I relaxed for the afternoon and then we went to Wilderness Lodge to have dinner at Artist Point. It was Copper River salmon season, so we both had the cedar plank salmon. Yum! Our server was excellent and even gave us a free drink for dessert because we told her it's the restaurant at WDW that we've dined at the most.

Then I took some cool pics of the resort and called it a night.

P.S. This might be my favorite light fixture in all of WDW.

 

[sleepybear]

Thur., June 3

This was a strange day, in that Mike had his conference from 8 a.m. until about 5 p.m. That left me on my own for most of the day. Instead of doing what I'd normally do, plan the heck out of it, I played it by ear. That meant coffee in the rocking chair and taking some pictures of the resort, which was more difficult than expected due to one major factor: the humidity. As we predicted, it was very hot and disgustingly humid all day and night. So my camera lens fogged up very quickly every time I took the lens cap off. On the plus side, it resulted in some cool photos that have a neat, fifties gauzy effect.

I then walked to Epcot. This was, hands-down, the best part about staying at the Yacht and Beach Club. A quick five-minute walk and you're in Epcot. Awesome! Along the way, I saw some baby ducks resting on the beach.

Once in Epcot, I pleasantly discovered that it wasn't crowded at all. I waited 40 minutes in the standby line for Soarin', which isn't bad at all, and roughly five minutes for Mission: Space orange. Then it was a quick walk around World Showcase where I had a sushi lunch at Yakitori House in Japan. On my way out of the park, I caught the Fife and Drum Corps outside American Adventure. Look closely at this guy's drum. Does that count as a Hidden Mickey or is it simply a WDW logo that's not meant to be hidden? Paging Steve Barrett!

I also saw the French waiter balancing on the stacked chairs. (Still not sure how he does it, other than having some serious balance.)

I also saw a duck and a squirrel face off in one of the planters. Good times!

That evening, we headed to Disney-Hollywood Studios for dinner at The Brown Derby. After checking out the freshened up MuppetVision 3-D, we discovered something interesting -- the wait times on several attractions were wrong. Very wrong, but in a good way. Our wait in the standby line for Toy Story Mania was less than half of the posted time of 80 minutes. (By that time, Fastpasses were long gone.) Tower of Terror had a posted wait time of 30 minutes. It was really less than 15. For TOT, the drop sequence for Summer Nightastic was in place but none of the lighting effects or interior changes were being used. From what I've heard, I didn't miss much. The new drop sequence, however, was pretty awesome.


I also got some pictures of the Great Movie Ride exterior and Mike acting like the heat index wasn't above 100.

 

[sleepybear]

Fri., June 4

Mike's conference ended at noon. When he finished, we went to Animal Kingdom. It felt, unbearably, like the real Africa. Our first stop was to get a Fastpass for Everest, which we didn't really need, and go to Dinosaur. Is it just me or have they toned down the volume? My ears weren't ringing, which is what they normally do after that ride. But we did get stopped right beneath the pterodactyl and sat in darkness for about five minutes. Not the first time that's happened there.

OK, let's talk Expedition: Everest. is going on with that ride? The bird animatronic at the torn-up track at the top was present and seemed to have been upgraded. It moved more and with better fluidity. But inside the mountain, the yeti animatronic was nowhere to be found. The area where he normally is was pitch black and all we heard was some growling. A major disappointment. This is the centerpiece of the ride, Imagineers. Fix it!

Because the heat was getting to us, we had a late lunch at Yak & Yeti, mostly just to cool off. The food was good -- until I bit down on something decidedly non-foodlike. Turns out it was a piece of plastic (!?) Not sure how it got there, but the manager came out to apologize and took it off the bill. He offered me something else for free, but I was no longer hungry. But the meal wasn't a total loss. I discovered Zipang sparkling sake. It might now be my new favorite adult beverage.

We then did the jungle trek and went on the safari, which was a complete walk-on. Because the ride was pretty much empty, our driver went very slow through the whole thing. It was very nice, and allowed me to take some good photos, such as this one of storm clouds gathering over the savannah.

Now, a mini-rant about visitors to Animal Kingdom. Why don't they take it easy? More importantly, why don't they look at park hours? We saw so many people rushing through the exhibits, stopping for five seconds and then moving on when they didn't see an animal. At the hippo pool on the exploration trail, most people glanced at the water, said "It looks empty" and then ran away. Those of us who stayed got to see the hippo swim around the tank and play in the water. At one point, I swear it was showing off for the kids pressed against the glass. It was awesome.

Later, at 3 p.m., we overheard a woman ask other guests what the biggest and best rides in the park were. They told her the usual and said that she needed to hurry if she wanted to see them all because the park closed at six. Her response: "Thanks. We're going to eat now." Ugh. On the way out of the park, we saw people arriving at 5 p.m. who clearly hadn't seen the listed park hours. These were probably the same people who later complained to cast members as they were ushered out of the park after only one ride on Everest.

OK, rant over. And here are more pictures!

That night was dinner at Jiko at AKL. We love that hotel, but it just wasn't feasible to stay there this time around. Still, it was nice to spend some time in the lobby and watching the animals outside. It was feeding time, so the savannah was packed with zebras, giraffes, birds and ankole cattle. Funny story: A little girl outside with her parents surveyed the full savannah, pointed to the ground and yelled, "Look! A bunny!"

 

[sleepybear]

Sat., June 5

This was our Epcot day. In the morning, we did Soarin' twice, Living with the Land, The Seas, Spaceship Earth and Test Track. Again, it wasn't crowded at all. In this picture of the Fountain of Nations and Spaceship Earth, the place looks downright deserted.

Although the crowds were fairly light, it was hot. And humid. Crazy humid! And by the early afternoon, we were exhausted and sweaty and kind of grumpy. Even after a break at the hotel, we were still hot and grumpy when we returned at four. Then something magical happened -- we saw a duck. Donald Duck, forced out of Mexico by construction, was standing at the International Gateway. He spotted Mike, pointed at him and beckoned him over. Now Mike kind of hates character interaction. If others run toward Mickey when they see him, he runs the other way. Yet he was a good sport and, after some amusing befuddlement, posed for a photo with Donald. It was a totally spontaneous, unexpected moment and it boosted our moods for the rest of the trip.

Also helping our moods was the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, which was out of service the last time we were there. Our mission was in Mexico, and it was really cool to see how well they integrated everything into the pavilion. I especially liked the finale, which I won't spoil, but was awesome to see. For the rest of the night, I was on the lookout for other Kim Possible items in other countries. I know I saw one in Japan, and I wouldn't be surprised if this donkey is involved somehow. (Or maybe, to paraphrase Freud, sometimes a donkey is just a donkey.)

We had dinner at Tokyo Dining in Japan. (Yes, I love sushi.) Before that, we spent a good hour in the department store and I found ... Zipang sparkling sake!!! I bought two bottles and plan to buy plenty more when we come back in December. After dinner it was time for a kaki gori dessert and illuminations from the balcony outside the restaurant.

On the way out, I spotted this great Pluto window in the store at the International Gateway. Unfortunately, we didn't see Pluto walking around the parks the entire time.

 

[sleepybear]

Sun., June 6

We went to Kona Cafe for my favorite breakfast in the whole world: Tonga Toast, fruit plate, French press pot of Kona coffee. The food was great, but the service is becoming a bit of a problem. First, we weren't given spoons. When we told our waiter, he grabbed the spoons off the table next to us. Five minutes later, people were seated there ... now without spoons. When the food came out, they forgot to bring the butter and syrup. After asking, they brought out butter, syrup and ... ketchup. These aren't major faults and won't prevent us from eating there again. But it is a sign that Kona Cafe needs to get its act together a little bit. We've had several issues like that in the past.

Our last day was spent at the Magic Kingdom. The first thing I noticed: There's A LOT of construction on Main Street right now. It was pretty unsightly, especially at night when the normally sparkling street had a lot of dark patches because of the scaffolding and canvases.

We hit all the big attractions in the morning, including Splash, Big Thunder and Space mountains.

This was our first ride on Space Mountain since the refurb. I liked it, although I miss the stars and giant cookies overhead. But they really darkened the place. I've been on that ride close to 50 times and some parts startled me because I was so disoriented in the darkness.

Then we went on Buzz Lightyear, which is now one of my least-favorite rides. Why? Because Mike kicked my a**. Below is a photo of his score. Mine was, oh, about 700,000 points less than that. And he refuses to tell me what targets get him so many points. Curse him!

Still stuffed with Tonga Toast, we didn't eat lunch. (But I did have room for a Dole Whip.) While in Adventureland, we hit the treehouse, the Jungle Cruise and Pirates. At Pirates, the woman in line behind us asked us what the ride was. We described it for her and gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up. She then asked us if we recommended the Enchanted Tiki Room. We told her no, no, no, by all means no. Then we get on the ride, and she proceeds to take flash photos the entire time. Had we known she was going to do that, we would have wholeheartedly told her to go to the Tiki Room.

After a break at the hotel, we went to California Grill for dinner. Ever since 2006, it's become our custom to eat there the final night of each trip. The meal was amazing. The service was outstanding. The drinks were great. (Tip: Order the Ray-Ray. It's delicious.) And the sushi is amazing there. Hands-down, the best sushi I've ever had.

Stuffed to the gills, we waddled to the Magic Kingdom and did the Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder again and Mickey's Philarmagic. (I so wanted to go on Peter Pan, but Fastpasses were gone and there was a 50 minute wait.) Then it was time for the thing I was looking forward to the most:

Growing up, I had a Disney World record that featured "Baroque Hoedown." I listened to it constantly, staring at the album cover that had a picture of the Main Street Electrical Parade. It's my favorite piece of Disney music and I cheer every time it's played on Mouse World Radio. Yet I have never actually seen the parade.

Well, as fate would have it, we were there for it's official return to Walt Disney World. It was worth it. The night was hot and very, very humid. Unlike the rest of our stay, the park was packed. We had to snag our spot on Main Street an hour before it started. By the time the parade was supposed to start, I had sweated off about ten pounds and Mike was looking like he was going to pass out.

Then the parade began. And all was right with the world.

Exhausted, we called it a night and went back to our gigantic room. In the morning, we checked out and swung by Downtown Disney on our way to the airport. All in all, it was a good trip. We spent surprisingly little time in the parks compared to past visits. But it was very relaxing, which was the goal.

The good part is that in six months, we'll be back to see everything we skipped this time out. Our trip in December is going to be almost twice as long and, hopefully, much, much cooler.

 

[jesemeca]

I was there for opening night of the Main Street Electrical Parade also. I love that parade. I remember seeing it when I was little. And yes it was packed! But I enjoyed every minute of it.

Great report by the way!

I will be posting mine sometime soon, possibly this weekend.

 

[Princess Clayre]

Nice report. For a relaxing time you still got quite a bit done.

Some beautiful photo's too.

It really frustrates me too the people rush around Animal Kingdom. It's such a beautiful park, you really need to take your time over it. Yes Everest's is a great headliner (Yeti aside) but the park really is about exploring, seeing the animals and for me the wonderful planting too. How people can not know the park hours is crazy in this day and age with so many ways to check!

 

[corey154]

Love your trip report....I would love to be sitting there in a rocking chair sipping some coffee right now

 

[tiaragirl]

Great report! Your pictures are beautiful =) Sounds like the weather was not the best, but you definitely made thet most of it it!

 

[sleepybear]

Thanks for all the kind words about the report and photos. As far as the weather goes, while the humidity was annoying, we know it could have been a lot worse. We were surprised that it didn't rain nearly as much as we were expecting. When it did, it was about five minutes tops and then cleared up immediately.

 

[heartodisney]

GREAT pics and GREAT report! Your resort pics look wonderful...sounds like a great room! Looks like you also love the animals...wish I would take more time to take pics like these. I do have video of my wife "berating"(in filipino) turkeys on hole 17 on Magnolia course as they one by one "eyeball" her golfball! It was very funny. Looks like you guys had a great time. Try the humidity like that ALL the time...you just adjust to it! Take good care!

 

[michaelnyc]

trip report

hey there, we are also a couple from Queens and are planning on going for 12 days in sept

I could not get reservations for Kona for breakfast during our trip, have you ever tried the Tonga Toast from Captain Cooks quick service on the first floor of Poly?

was wondering if it was the same as what they served in Kona

 

[sleepybear]

hey there, we are also a couple from Queens and are planning on going for 12 days in sept

I could not get reservations for Kona for breakfast during our trip, have you ever tried the Tonga Toast from Captain Cooks quick service on the first floor of Poly?

was wondering if it was the same as what they served in Kona

I've never had it at Captain Cooks myself, but my father did a few years ago. He said it's exactly the same and actually costs less than at Kona. So enjoy!

 

[Sloan]

relaxed pace

Thank you for posting your report.

My last two trips were solo, and I took a lot more time to 'slow down and smell the roses' so-to-speak, and I also really enjoyed the change of pace. There is just so much to see and appreciate, most people just miss it in the effort to pack the most in to the trip. There's a whole different vibe when you slow down the pace. (and being at Yacht & Beach Club is just excellent for an EPCOT fan).

We seem to share a taste in dining - on my most recent trip I also did Jiko, Cali. Grill & Tokyo Dining, which are all favorites of mine. And while going to Jiko, AKL is one of those places that merits some extra time just wandering around the grounds and building, and appreciating all of the excellent theming and details.

 

[Master Gracey 5]

Great trip report. The Beach Club looks awesome - we're considering staying there for our next trip and your photos reinforce that plan. Some time I'd love to do a slow down trip myself, but only if I can go later/earlier in the year like you are doing.

 

[sleepybear]

Great trip report. The Beach Club looks awesome - we're considering staying there for our next trip and your photos reinforce that plan. Some time I'd love to do a slow down trip myself, but only if I can go later/earlier in the year like you are doing.

You should give Beach Club a shot. While not our favorite resort (Nothing will surpass AKL for us) it's nice, quiet, has a jaw-dropping pool area and is very, very convenient. We've actually decided to stay there again during our December trip.

We seem to share a taste in dining - on my most recent trip I also did Jiko, Cali. Grill & Tokyo Dining, which are all favorites of mine. And while going to Jiko, AKL is one of those places that merits some extra time just wandering around the grounds and building, and appreciating all of the excellent theming and details.

The restaurants are just as exciting as the attractions to us. Foodie friends of mine who have never been to WDW have a hard time believing there are such sophisticated restaurants like Jiko or Cali. Grill there.

Looks like you also love the animals...wish I would take more time to take pics like these. I do have video of my wife "berating"(in filipino) turkeys on hole 17 on Magnolia course as they one by one "eyeball" her golfball! It was very funny.

Is that available on YouTube? Sounds like it would be a hit. :wave:

 

[heartodisney]

Yet to post that on the "tube"...if I do, I will let everyone know for a great laugh! :lol:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I can't believe I'm just now reading this report! Wonderful! Loved every moment! Sounds like the relaxed pace was a success and y'all had a fab time in spite of the humidity. Kudos to you! Your pics were gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the fun!

:wave:

 

[mouselvrmom]

Loved your relaxing trip report! Your pictures were fabulous! I felt like I was there!

 

[foreverbelle]

Great Trip report really loved the photos. Might I add the ones right before the storm were pretty incredible....greatly done. I appreciate you sharing.

Hmm you are about the millionth person I have heard talk about tonga toast. This may just have to be a place my husband my son and I may just have to try one of these trips.

And you did a lot for just relaxing...

Hope you decide to do a trip report in December because I can't wait...