disneydreamer1980
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2017
Following along! Can’t wait to read more!
We have a ton of the disney shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. I have them out in both guest bathrooms plus the extra in the vanity and the linen closet. I took them on my last royal caribbean cruise, but forgot to take the body lotion.Personally I'm happy they have done away with the little bottles. Fran steals every last one of them from every hotel we stay at. At home in my bathroom under one of the sinks I have bins FULL of them. I have them sorted into shampoo, conditioner, body wash, facial soap, body soap, lotion....I can only use the soaps because I have prescription shampoo and special conditioner. She doesnt seem to use them either so they just keep filling up and filling up.
I can't believe you got upgraded from SSR to Riviera. I can't wait to hear what else happened to you with the upgrade. The last 2 DVC room changes we had resulted in us calling members services to fix their screw ups. One was being charged for parking at VGF, other was at boardwalk. Our room got downgraded so the extra points that we had borrowed went into holding. We got them back in the correct use year.I'd be interested in seeing a picture of the studios at Riviera, just for kicks and giggles.
Time for your daily security sweep!While I was unpacking there was a knock on the door. It was housekeeping and they wanted to come in and change the towels or do something. I thought that was odd since we don’t get trash and towel service until the 3rd or 4th day of the stay. She seemed adamant about doing it, and I told her that she could come back after noon.
But she wanted to go because she didn't get to do the things she wanted with your parents! It's time to wake up, Fran!Back in the room, I told Fran it was time to get up. She'd had plenty of sleep by now, and I was going to make breakfast. Now remember this is the "unplanned" trip. Tonight on the loose schedule we were going to Trader Sam's and trying to get 'Ohana bread pudding. Fran said she didn't care what we did, or if we even went there. Ugh, I hope I can get her out of this funk.
That's fantastic. I'm glad that you found someone so willing to be that helpful for you!We took down her name so that we could give her a good word, that helps CMs a lot. Her name was Mirana
While I like the speed and convenience of the Skyliner (AKA don't have to wait 20 minutes for a bus), I wasn't aware of the accessibility issues surrounding it. This doesn't sound like a great system. They really should still offer more regular bus service from the Skyliner resorts so that people have an option.Our FP started at 12:25 and the first and last were throw away passes. The only option for transport from this place to Epcot and DHS is the skyliner. While many of you might think this is cool. I'm still a little traumatized that it's first accident happened the first day on my arrival of the last trip. Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola. I have separation anxiety and the fact that I could be stuck alone in a car is a little disconcerting. Even more so is the fact that Fran could be stuck alone and have to be helped out without me being able to be there to help and comfort her.
That's some great service!Bus service started to DS at 4PM and we headed out of the park and in that direction around 3:45. When we got to the bus stop there were already two scooters waiting. At 3:52 a bus pulled up and they boarded. The driver said he would send another bus our way. Sure enough at 3:59 another bus to DS was pulling up!
I love Jock Lindsey's. Sorry you missed out on the diving bell.Looking around the room, they have all kinds of interesting stuff on the walls.
Awesome Dis meet!As soon as she saw us, she jumped out of her chair, came running over giving us big hugs, and saying, "Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever," and all sorts of other nice things. As we were getting reacquainted, the hostess came to tell us our table was ready. She followed us to the table and we chatted some more until one of her bosses came over, so we said we would catch up later.
I'm glad that you were able to be there for that. Seems to be one of the highlights of that restaurant!While we were waiting, the fireworks at Epcot went off. They gave us some notice to go out on the terrace so we could watch them. Not the best pictures, but what I could get from my cell phone just to give you the idea.
Since we were staying a while I always like to unpack and put things in the closet and drawers and such. If we are staying 4 nights or longer I don't want to live out of a suitcase.
t was housekeeping and they wanted to come in and change the towels or do something. I thought that was odd since we don’t get trash and towel service until the 3rd or 4th day of the stay. She seemed adamant about doing it, and I told her that she could come back after noon
got myself an Americano.
Tonight on the loose schedule we were going to Trader Sam's and trying to get 'Ohana bread pudding.
We took down her name so that we could give her a good word, that helps CMs a lot. Her name was Mirana
it's first accident happened the first day on my arrival of the last trip.
Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola.
Even more so is the fact that Fran could be stuck alone and have to be helped out without me being able to be there to help and comfort her.
The CBR is the "hub" for the Skyliner and they have three different lines converging here.
she had a thing we needed to take care of online for DL CA at 10AM Pacific so we went through security and then waited while she took care of business on her phone right at 1PM. You know how these Disney things work, they sell out in less than minutes.
our first FP which was Star Tours. They had all new scenes, at least to me! It was very cool! S
It was very cool. I love this version. It's so much better than ours was. Ours is much better as Guardians.
I found some Dark Roast coffee in one of the shops
We missed getting to sit in the diving bell by less than a minute.
LOL too funny! Fran has a few to feed I supposeWhen they bring you the collectible mug, the waitress told her to give him a name and feed him twice a day.
The room has all kinds of neat stuff going on, we were seated near this ancient ice making machine. It would bubble, make some noise, and then it put out one of those cool sphere ice cubes like they serve at 1901.
As soon as she saw us, she jumped out of her chair, came running over giving us big hugs, and saying, "Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever," and all sorts of other nice things.
We started off with the Ricotta, the description says: Tomato, Aged Balsamic, Cracked Pepper, Basil,
They also had some pastries in their case, but they didn’t appeal to me that much.
Fran said she didn't care what we did, or if we even went there. Ugh, I hope I can get her out of this funk.
Plus the fact that Fran and I have to ride in separate cars and several cars apart. Only one scooter can travel in the gondola.
Business taken care of we headed to our first FP which was Star Tours. They had all new scenes, at least to me! It was very cool!
She checked out the dump shop with no purchases! Shocking!
Fran won't use those little yellow corn ear holders that we have at home, but she said she would use these.
We missed getting to sit in the diving bell by less than a minute.
When they bring you the collectible mug, the waitress told her to give him a name and feed him twice a day.
Our waitress told us fun stories about some of the stuff on the walls, the only thing I remember was the coin that got seared into one of the bad guy's hands was on a wall somewhere.
The room has all kinds of neat stuff going on, we were seated near this ancient ice making machine. It would bubble, make some noise, and then it put out one of those cool sphere ice cubes like they serve at 1901.
I swear for this day we had @pkondz's bus pass cause the moment we pulled up at the bus stop, I turned around to see a Riviera bus pulling up to take us home.
We took the elevator two floors up, and Fran asked, "Where do we go?" And as soon as we got out of the elevator she said, "Oh, it's just like the Fantasy." Tell me if you understand that reference cause I had the exact same thought!
Now I knew that Ellen (podsnel for those who remember her), was going to be dining here tonight. She had a reservation at 7PM with all her TA folks as they were on a business trip. But she didn't know Fran and I had made a reservation for this evening. Those of you who know Ellen will remember her as a shy and reserved kind of gal who doesn't get overly emotional and do crazy things, right? Haha who am I kidding? As soon as she saw us, she jumped out of her chair, came running over giving us big hugs, and saying, "Oh my god! I haven't seen you in forever," and all sorts of other nice things.
Ellen and her party were just finishing up, and I finally met Brooke, TA extraordinaire, and all around nice person. FB has been suggesting that I add her as a friend for quite a while now, and we agreed that since we have met, now we can actually be friends!
What????
Ah! Okay. That's more like it.
I'll unpack if I'm staying more than one night.
Um.... hello? It's morning?? Go away.
Yes, I would think that would be a pretty good sign.
Nice. Good to have friends who can help out.
Uh, oh...
Yuss! Score
Nope! I could not drink V8 with pastry. That's a hard no for me.
Wow! That's a very good maintenance person!
How?
I mean how does it help, not how to do it.
I know. But... they really are very safe.
Oh.
I'm sorry. I didn't think of that. For some reason, I guess I just assumed you'd both be in the same car, but of course not.
Sorry for my being obtuse.
How bad was that? Or wasn't it too bad?
Awww... poor Alison.
Oh! Maybe I need to ride this again. I've been happy to skip it lately.
How was that?
Why?
Great place. I like it there.
Yeah... I can see that.
Serious suggestion... If you think you'll be riding it more (Like if you know you'll be staying at the same resort in the future), maybe invest in a couple of two way radios? Stash them in your purses (or a locker) when you get to the end terminal?
Of course if you have two phones with good voice plans, then just do that.
But maybe that would help you feel less lonely? You could talk. Point out things. Just be reassured.
Well... poop! That thing looks fun.
Did you? Do you???
Reallly!!! The real one? How cool is that!
Cool!
Um... sure, what the heck. Pun intended!
You're welcome to borrow it any time.
No clue.
Did you have to request the balsamic again?
I'm slowing down, myself... but... I suspect if I don't get back for a while (not counting any last minute whirlwind tours prior to AP expiring), that I'll be speeding up again.I know. I know. I was pretty tired going into this trip. And I don't push myself on vacation. I'm too old for that.
I put them in drawers. And hang stuff. But it has to be for more than one night.Well, I guess it depends what you mean by "unpack".....I take things out of the suitcase if I'm staying two nights, but I don't generally put stuff in drawers, hang up other clothes for less than 4 nights.
That too.More like we're DVC, you're not supposed to come until Thursday.
what shade was it? Umber? Puce?I hadn't unpacked her eye shade yet, or at least put it where she knew where to find it.
Fellow Disney crazies are good to have!
Correct.Well I drank the coffee with the pastry (which would be an even harder no for you),
Ah. Yes, that I could (and would) do.and then drank the V8 after, so sequentially.
Okay, that I understand!We need our morning veggies if we're going to eat kinda crappy the rest of the day.
Ah! Okay, I didn't know that. Good... Very good to know!If CMs are specifically mentioned by guests, it goes a long way towards their performance evaluations.
Yeah, I should've thought of that. I did see them last I was there. They're not giant gondolas.There really isn't room for two scooters in one of them. Once you get in they put blocks behind your back wheels to keep you from rolling anywhere.
Not bad!The times when we went through there (which weren't generally peak times) there was no waiting. We would just go from the Riviera Line to the DHS line.
Oy!I just have separation anxiety. Makes no sense. I also get ancy when she is out of phone communication. There is a story that once I was out at DL and couldn't get her on the phone for over an hour. She was much sicker then, and we actually left the park for a wellness check. And then came right back when she had simply left her phone in the bathroom.
Ohhhh… Okay, that I get.Evidently they are too small for her arthritic hands.
Good to hear.By the end of the trip, she would text me. I got less jittery about riding it. I doubt we will have this problem in the future.
I think the poor thing died. It's still in the suitcase!
Good!Well thanks. We actually had mostly good luck this time.
Yup, that Saturday. We had a late breakfast at Garden Grill then had a FP for Frozen and that was enough for the day. I LOVE the festival of the arts, but the downside of all those artist tents is that it made getting around on such a crowded day even more difficult. My mom was stressed trying to navigate the crowds and I was feeling claustrophobic too so we just went back to the boardwalk early to wait for scooter pickup and DME.
Most of my souvenirs other than clothes go in my carryon. And if they are in my suitcase they are usually something breakable so I put them in between the clothes in my laundry bag. I’m sure that inadvertently provides a bit of a deterrent as well!
I’d love to hear what you thought of the loading and unloading process of the skyliner with a scooter at Rivera. I know the at the other stations they pull cars off the main line, but since they can’t do that there we opted not to bring scooter when we went to visit the resort though it would’ve been nice to have.
I take a much larger carry-on and personal item than I really should, especially since it makes it difficult to shlep through the airport. But my suitcases always are barely under weight limit so I often need to redistribute to the large carry-on for the return trip. I keep a mini luggage scale with me to make sure I don’t have any trouble on the way home.My carry on is prime real estate as my computer, DSLR camera, meds, jewelry, and other such valuables go in there. We just have to chance it in the suitcase.
Oh that’s good to hear. I’ll make a note of that for when we are at the boardwalk again in August. I’d like to have a meal at Rivera at some point.It wasn't bad at all. They slow it down to a virtual crawl that you are hardly moving at all.
I saw the title of your TR and decided to read it. This made me actually laugh out loud and I have decided Fran is my new favorite person! Love it! Can't wait to read the rest of the TR!
I'm so glad you liked the Marie band...I thought it was super cute. Happy my friends were able to find it and always happy to deliver in person to you!
Jock Lindsay's looks like so much fun...We should put that on the list of places to go for the big 50th trip. Your dinner looked great too...too bad about the overcooked shrimp. Seeing Ellen and Brook would be the highlight though! I spent a memorable Cinco de Drinko with Ellen and I would love to meet Brook IRL.
Ohh you guys are clever! I was just like 'wow! kinda cool!"
ahhh ohhhh- warning flag...
I'm guessing they issue new bands with each stay
I think I like it! That's a lot of cupboards- is there much in them?
Nice! Was it comfy?
Very suitable for you two!
Nice hidden mickey!
Yay, glad it was a decent tub still.
Sure Disney, sure...
I have a couple these- they are handy indeed!
Glad it was a non-issue, you've def had some annoying issues
Geez! Pretty empty indeed!
Wine in a can is very handy sometimes...
If it's something I really want to eat, or am still hungry, I generally complain, in this situation I'd be meh too.
Is that a salt/pepper shaker beside your mug
Yes, it disassembles for travel. I needed a heavy duty one, so even broken apart the back wheel assembly is pretty heavy. The other thing that is a drawback is the scooter has to be assembled to charge it. I had a smaller DRIVE scooter before (long story) that the battery was in a case and could charge separately. That was great, and this is a pain but we deal with it. Otherwise its a great scooter, never a worry about it not being powerful enough.
I assume California has Goodwill stores. Here in NJ Goodwill has a division for medical equipment. They have a warehouse sale in the medical division every so often and put thousands of new and used medical equipment pieces on sale at a very discounted price. Everything from hospital beds, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, canes, blood pressure monitors, and scooters. I was able to buy a brand new never used scooter for a third the price of what a new one would have cost - $400. I ended up selling it for what I paid because it wasn't powerful enough.
I bet, that does seem very very far...
Mmm chili..I went to make it the other day as I cooked off a load of ground beef (and prob some ground pork too, can't remember) the other day for taco meat, spag sauce, and chili but couldn't make the chili as realized I had no chili powder or kidney beans...
Yup they have them here too, reminds me of childhood too, bologna was the only lunch meat we had, and that was only when it was on sale. Otherwise it was peanut butter sammies.
Yes, @franandaj Tony's used to get hammered on the boards. I was planning our first trip in like 2007 I think and was hesitant to try but we really liked it. Good food and good service. Is it 5 star? Nope but I am not eating Italian in MK expecting it to be.
We tried Tony's on our first trip in 2011 because of your review and we liked it.
Oh yeah? Well, maybe I'll just keep reading! So there!
Nah. If it's a quickie, then I only have a carry-on. Makes it quicker at customs.
Too bad. I did like the charm. And... I never really had trouble getting a table.
well... poop. Do it and "forget" to mention it? Does she actually check the stash?
No. Nevermind… that wouldn't be very honest.
Following along! Can’t wait to read more!