September 13, 2013

Day 7

 

Mouse/House keeping left a note in my room that overnight there will be a planned power outage.  Since I am using my cell phone as a alarm clock, it didn’t bother me too much.

 

When the power went out, it woke me up, but went back to sleep.  I woke up and the room felt warm.  I checked the thermostat, while it was set for 68 degrees, it read that the room was currently 75.  I hope when I call maintenance, they will be more responsive then they were over my frig, to unplug it.  I called maintenance and left the room.

 

I have a 10 am ADR at Kona Café at the Polynesian Resort.  I will take the bus to the Magic Kingdom, then the monorail to the Poly.   

 

Tonight is a limited time magic event at Disney Hollywood Studios, its open till midnight with special events.  I may try and do it after ‘Ohana since the Magic Kingdom closes at 7 pm for a not so scary night.  The reason I mentioned this, the bus queue for the studios is full.

 

I have my usual Steak and eggs with apple juice.  After breakfast, I head back to the monorail, back to the Magic Kingdom and go visit Hall of Presidents.  Here is that video.

 

 

 

 

 

After Hall of Presidents, I head over the Country Bear Jamboree. 

 

 

When I am about to enter the theater, they announce that the attraction is down.  Oh well L.  I head over to Haunted Mansion.

 

So I head to hm. Before entering the queue i ask a cm if handicap still uses the same standby entrance. I get half a nod. Wait wasn't bad at all.

 

 

While in the queue I get a cell phone alert that tells me I have a fp plus in 10 minutes for hm. So as soon as I exited the attraction. I went back in using my fp plus. In front of me was a group of people with a gac card. So you can use the fp line with gac.

The first time through the mansion. I used my new waterproof camera, which doesn’t do well in the dark.  Here is the video.

 

 

 

 

 

Second my std def camcorder which takes better video in the dark :-)

 

 



I didn't want to eat a full lunch as I have ‘Ohana tonight. I knew Be Our Guest restaurant has onion soup. That with a soda should hold me off.  So I head over that way, just to see what the line is like.

For the last several weeks, all I hear about Be Our Guest is the lines for lunch.  Forget about getting a dinner ADR.  Its about
1:30 in the afternoon and the line didn't seem that bad. About a dozen or less people on the bridge waiting. The CM said the wait was about 20 minutes.

 

 

When you are called to enter the building,

 

 

 

 there is another line that has screens that shows you the items for sale.  The roast beef sandwich meal is making me hungry.  So much for getting onion soup.  After a short wait on the inside queue I am at a podium.  Here they give me a ‘rose’ with a RFID chip inside, but since I have a Magic Band, I am told to use that instead.  He holds me for a couple of minutes before being told to go to a food ordering station.  There is a family in front of me that takes about a minute to finish up. 

 

I try to try and figure out what to do, but feel a little overwhelmed at first.  Right away a CM is by my side to help me.  I try and scan my Magic Band, but it doesn’t work.  He quickly says something about no ones Magic Band seems to be working today and gets me a ‘rose’.  The ‘rose’ is like a soft bean bag shaped like a bagel without a hole.

 

The CM gets me a rose and the terminal seems to be working better then my Magic Band, but it does work to pay for the meal.

 

I am them directed to find a table in a large room.  I am still feeling overwhelmed.  I find a table for 4, place my rose on the table and look for the soda machines and cutlery.
 
Pretty fast I feel, a food card comes to my table.  The CM pushing it asks if I ordered the Roast Beef sandwich, I did, and give me my dessert.

 

 

 I don’t know the beverage policy here, they have no RFID chips, so while eating I get more soda.  The sandwich was very good.  I don’t know what they put in it, perhaps better off not knowing.  But it was hot, juicy, just plain good.  They even brought a little dish for the ketchup for the fries.  Pretty high end to me.  I don’t see what to do with the dishes, so I leave it on the table and explore the restaurant some before leaving.

 

 

It is snowing behind these windows.

 

 

 

 

They placed a couple of glass urns of lemon (?) flavored water on the bridge.  While I was leaving, another guest entered the bridge, and when asked if he wanted to eat there, he said, he just came for the lemon (?) flavored water.  They also still handed out large umbrellas too.

 

I asked the CM on the bridge when leaving that I heard the lines are over the bridge, and right now, there is none?  It was 1:30 and he said it always gets quiet then.  So if you want to try BOG, don’t go too early, try later. 


After eating I used another fp plus for new mermaid ride.  Here is the std video of it.

 

 

 

 

After going on the little mermaid ride, I explore more of the new Fantasyland, including the new store they have.  Lots of nice things to see here.  When I have more time, I need to explore this more.

 

At the train station, I see the Roger Broggie steam engine pulling out of the station.  I just watch it.  To me, steam engines look so amazing to see moving.

I have a Fastpass plus for the Tomorrowland Speedway, so I am heading over there.

 

Before going on the Speedway, I use my GAC to enter Buzz Lightyear.  I see Buzz Lightyear is back where he belongs.  Here is the video I took while playing.

 

 

 

 

 

Final score not good

 

 

Bad gun again??  Or I was trying to take better video then aiming?? ;)  Will use that one.

 

After Buzz, I ride Tomorrowland Speedway for the first time in years, recording my ride while driving.  Don’t try this in real life J

 

 

 

 

 

 I then head over and do Pirates twice,

 

 

Video #1

 

 

 

Video #2

 

 

 

 first the normal standby line, then I use a FP+ to ride it again.  Afterwards I find a bench to sit down at.  To tell you the truth, never saw this before.

 

 

Its by a section that leads to a cast member only gate.  There is also some interactivity going on here.  Not sure what goes on here, not sure I would mention even if I do know J

 

After Pirates I was contemplating going to the studios for their limited time magic on Friday the 13th.  It was too late to drop the scooter off in my room, or charge it.  I went to first aid at MK, asked if its ok if I could plug in my scooter and recharge my own battery too.  The person at the desk said sure, no problem.  So I hung out there till about 5:30.  I then headed to The Polynesian for my dinner at ‘Ohana (see how I spell it?? :)

 

Outside the mens room by ‘Ohana, I found a outlet, so I plugged in my scooter. checked in, and was seated in less them 10 minutes.

 

As far as the starters, they don’t have the honey lime dressing anymore.  Its called passion something or other.  Something about fruit in a salad doesn’t click with me, so I just picked the greens.  And it almost tastes like the Honey Lime dressing I remember.

 

One of the complaints I had about ‘Ohana, whether you’re a party of 1 or 6, they bring you out the same quantity of  starter food.  Which being solo eater, I can hardly put a dent in.  This year they finally brought less to me then another table of 5.

 

want to guess what I don’t touch?  Give you a hint, its green J

ok.. don’t touch the chicken either J

 

Oh, I remember I was seated about 6:30.  They sat me by the window. I made a remark about I have a good seat for Wishes.  The server corrected me, saying tonight is Hallowishes and its at 9:30.  I thought to myself... could I sit and eat for 3 hours?? :)  Nah.

 

the view from my table, isn’t the Magic Kingdom somewhere there?

 

When I was being escorted to my table, I was asked, did I have lunch today.  I told the truth, there was hardly a line for Be our Guest. So I had a sandwich.  She asked surprised... no line?  I told her the horror stories I heard, 12 people in front of me doesn’t constitute a line. 

 

they first gave me a couple of pieces of meat, which was ok. Then came around with the shrimp, and gave me 1/2 the skewer on my plate.  10... 15 shrimp??  The shells came off the shrimp very easy, but still was a messy thing to do.  I judge my table service quality on how long my soda glass goes empty.  If I have another before its empty, good service.  If I am dying of thirst, not taking another bite till I have something to wash it down with... not so good service.  At first it was not so good, but got better.

 

When my hands were clean enough to look at Twitter, I was reading that the traffic to the studios was horrific.  I wasn’t even sure of the best way of getting there?  Take a Poly bus to the studios, or drive over to the TTC and catch the bus from there.  With the scooter, I prefer to try and board a empty bus.  Just the way I am,  In the end, I decided not to go.

 

Like I did last year, I met Virginia (Orlando) her husband and her grand daughter.  They knew I was talking about the AP Epcot pin, so they bought it for me.  Very nice and thanked them.  They had her grand daughter hand me the pin, but she is on the shy side.  But looked forward to seeing me.  She dressed up as her favorite villian (grand daughter) Maleficent.  They were going to take her to the studios.  But reading further tweets, it just sounded awful crowded.

 

We parted company, I headed to the monorail to go back to the Magic KingdomMade it just in time to watch Hallowishes start at 9:30.  Stood and watcher it from over the train station, then headed back to the Pop bus station, while the fireworks were still going on.  But at the buses, no sound except the explosions.

 

Even the bus driver warned about the traffic, but there was none.

 

I make it back to the resort and make a bee line to check out the air conditioner situation in my room.  Its working so I am happy.

 

Mothra visited my next door neighbor

Never saw a moth that large before

 

Probably going to Typhoon Lagoon in the am.