DAY 4 – The Buses Strike Back
DAY 5 – A New Hope
The plan for day 4 was simple. Typhoon Lagoon in the morning, a barbeque lunch at SSR and La Nouba at night.
So we arrived at the Springs bus stop at SSR at 10:35 EDT. We waned to do Typhoon as it was a perfect warm day with a low forecast of thunderstorms (although I found out later that was revised – read on, dear reader). Also, J11 was sure she would try Shark Reef this time.
We saw all sorts of busses. Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, even 2 for Animal Kingdom/Blizzard Beach.
But no Typhoon Lagoon. I started having each bus call the base to ask where the missing bus was. The answer was always a few minutes away. I even used the house phone to have the operator check. They told her a few minutes too. She at least was close to right at that point.
In all, we waited 49 hot minutes for the bus. 49 minutes that stressed the usually friendly (but always fragile) détente between J’s 7 & 11.
We arrived at Typhoon Lagoon about 11:22. After we were under way, the bus driver (amazed that it had been more than the normal 20 minutes between busses) said he called and found that a bus had broken down. Amazing no one else apparently knew that.
We stated out some seats near the lockers we rented (which were next to Shark Reef) and hopped in the lazy river.
Two stops later, we were instructed to exit the river because rain was coming. The skies were still blue and full of puffy clouds, but we realized it did take a while to clear the waters of guests. So after about a half hour in the water, we raced to the nearest stand to get food (figuring others would soon get the same idea).
We ate standing, unable to find seats. The rains did come as we made out way back to our towels and beach chairs. It was quite a downpour, but we heard that other areas of Disney got hit quite worse.
The rain stopped, but apparently the front was still in the area, as we sat listening to continual announcements that the water attractions were closed. I went off for a moment to find the others huddled into a full shelter (that they were previously just outside of). Apparently some lifeguard (let’s just call her the Surf Nazi) ordered them there.
Oh, I have no problem with a policy that when thunderstorms are in the area people must be out of the open. However the policy wasn’t being universally enforced by all the lifeguards, just this one apparently. Others on the other side of the shelter were left unwarned in the open, even as a gaggle of red suited tanned lifeguards chatted right next to them. Also, as J4* pointed out, if they won’t let you stand except under a wooden canopy perhaps there should be more such shelter.
After an hour or so (which seemed much longer) we were allowed back in the water. The park was less crowded, so that was a good thing. We finished our circuit on the river and headed for the big pool. The kids got progressively bolder after an initial wave knocked them both down, leaving red marks on the parts of their bodies that happened to hit the pool floor.
At one point, they stopped the wave machine because the lifeguards had to check out someone (which turned out to be nothing). The pumps apparently need a cycle to get back into it, leading the crowd to chant “WAVE, WAVE…” during the interval.
When the waves restarted, the first was a tiny one foot swell that caused the entire crowd to boo.
Chicago brave J11 decided against Shark Reef, and I decided not to do it alone at this point. I did spend a while sitting on the wall at the end of the wave pool – the waves breaking up on you there can be pretty fun!
We returned to SSR at about 4:30, just enough time to get ready for La Nouba. Once bitten, twice shy, I called a cab while waiting at the bus stop. He beat the bus there, so we took the can to the West Side – a $7 trip, and I gave him $10 total to help make up for the short ride.
We made the show in plenty of time and had great seats – Section 202, row AA 1-4, right behind the aisle, just left of center (house left, not stage left). The kids had never seen this show. J4* and I did in ’99 (that was an experience – J4* seat was broken and they tried to give us seats all the way in the back (we were in the center section, halfway back – this when all seats were the same price – but that’s a whole different story!). They have seen Cirque in Chicago (and will again this summer). It was great. Those Chinese girls are still a little creepy, but amazingly talented (if you’ve seen it, you probably know what I mean). I imagine they just clone them.
After the show, the weather was again threatening, so we made a beeline for indoor food. House of Blues wasn’t taking names, so we continued on to Raglan Road. What a great place! We waited at the bar for our table (much relief to our Chicago/part-Irish sensibilities – on a trip to Indianapolis we couldn’t even sit in one whole half of a restaurant, because that was considered
”bar area.” If you can’t take kids to the bar, where do you rest your infant when you go out? ).
The music was live, great, and loud (albeit acoustic). A dancer accompanied the band, dancing on a special table (with patrons seated at it!). J4* had the salmon, I the loin of bacon (a very lean ham steak, basically), J7 the fish and chips and J11 the Dakely Duo – sausages battered and served with a mustard sauce. It was very nice. If you like Irish music and a good pint of Smithwick’s, this is the place to go.
Back home after a walk through Downtown Disney and to bed.
DAY 5
J7 has been unusually combative at points this trip. Suddenly today, she was a joy. Hopefully she realizes that this is a good thing!
This was moving day – SSR to BCV. I packed as the rest got up. I put the fridge food in an insulated bag from Publix (Keeps ice cream cold after 3 hours! It says) and a rolling cooler we brought. Bell Services arrived to take out 17 bags (some of these just small items, like the charcoal I’ve yet to use!) and the rest of the family went of to Epcot (got to get those puppets the rain stopped!)
I took the first bus (Magic Kingdom) and got off to find the YC/BC bus. One bad part of transferring at MK is the side of the sign you can see exiting doesn’t tell you the destination of the buses. So you have to walk and keep looking backwards to see. I found the YC/BC stop and waited. A bus pulled up. He told me that even though he was at the stop, his marquee didn’t say YC/BC, but he’d get me there, probably after taking us past the Contemporary and WL. He checked with a supervisor in a van and sure enough, he had to go to CR/WL. We did so (picking people up for MGM) and then went to the Beach Club to drop me off. I didn’t ask for this, and I’m sure the folks waiting at the BC and those on the bus were all confused, but this small detour was really helpful to me.
I checked in – no rooms ready – drat! – and took the boat to Epcot. Met the family by China in WS (got the puppets!) and we journeyed on. We stopped to eat in Italy for the first time. It was quite nice. I had Ceasar Salad with shrimp (nice and hard to mess up. Could have been larger, and the “crouton” was a rectangular cracker, which wasn’t bad actually). J4* had some delicious buttery lasagna. The kids had pasta, and I commented J7’s meatballs better than my mom’s, for which J4* felt sure I would be rained on.
Glad to a giant lizard again menacing the small Germany railroad village (on a previous trip, a horde of the man sized beats descended on the town, accompanied by Volkswagen sized birds). Love that garden railroad setup!
We caught most of the Voices of Liberty in the rotunda at the American Adventure – they are really worth stopping!
Back to BCV - called and the room still not ready. We waited in the lobby. Kids watched cartoons and J7 traded a pin with Art, the doorman. We switched after a while to the Game Room in the BCV – a wonderful spot to watch cartoons and kick back. Finally, at 4PM exactly, the room was ready. A nice 1 bedroom overlooking the canal and BCV pool.
We relaxed in the room (J4* went out on the balcony to read, not understanding this doing nothing on vacation stuff!). The food looked not too much the worse for wear. The ice cream was soft, but as advertised unmelted after several hours (of course kept in a fridge at Bell Services during most of that time. The meat was a bit oxidized, but should still cook up fine.
For perhaps the last time, we took J11 to the kids club (they serve ages 4-12, but older kids are in the minority). J7 and J11 actually love this time in the kids area. The Sandcastle Club at BC is nowhere near as elaborate ass their usual haunt, the Neverland Club at te Poly, but they reported having a good time. J11 looked a bit silly on the kindergarten chairs playing video games, but a few hours of video games for her is just fine.
J4* and I went to the Boardwalk. We ate at ESPN, which we always like for a quick bite. Not as good as the ESPN Zone’s that it spawned, but still OK. We left, with a flock of Mets and/or Red Sox fans circling our table by the bar.
We walked down to Jellyrolls/Atlantic Dance, but they were not fully open until later. So we caught the next boat (Epcot) and walked around – caught the tale end of Off Kilter (they do rock), and went shopping. We got J7 a book she had been eyeing as a reward for such good behavior today, picked up “Leroy and Stitch” and “High School Musical” (J7 watching Leroy now). Also got a pin trader outfit for J7’s Pal Mickey. Very cute. I picked up the Stitch Independence Day jumbo pin.
We walked back, picked up the kids and relaxed yet again. Good night