Day four

April 11, 2023

Today is my mothers birthday. She passed away last summer. One of the reasons I needed this trip, so much happened last year. Two weeks after burying my mother, I was in a car accident, I was just starting to move at a traffic light, a car hit me hard in the rear. $15k worth of damage later, I got my car back. I guess I should be glad that I wasn’t hurt. Just my pride. I guess the view from my room…. It really helped. Talk about magic.

When I was able to snare the 7 nights staying club level with my travel agent discount, I gladly paid $1,000 for another night and day there.

local amusement park here in Coney

not a cloud in the sky

Breakfast. Someone was buttering several pieces of bread, blocking access to toaster not crazy of spinach with eggs, but that is all they have. Interesting to note, my mother loves spinach with her eggs. I never did. She probably wouldn’t believe I was eating that.

While sitting near the open center of the hotel, they are playing music. A tune catches my attention. Pretty sure its from Tombstone.

Getting the scooter out of the room is easier now. I head towards the boat dock and wait for the boat to the Magic Kingdom.

I guess it is no secret… heading to my favorite ride, Buzz Lightyear. That and Toy Story. I still trying to max out my score, looking for that high value target placed so most don’t noice it. Its like up in the ceiling or somewhere a little less conspicuous.

I have a little time, so I stop in a glass jewelry shop on main street. I am looking to get a piece of jewelry for my nephews daughter. Nothing catches my eye. Well, a $250k jewel castle, just for the price tag, not to give as a gift.

I go ride buzz. I use my DAS return time. I enter the Lightening Lane return line with no scooter.

I get a poor score on Buzz.. I use the bad gun defense.

I walk to Liberty Square via the hub. I see they have pastrami spring rolls….. I have to try. When I am in a orthodox neighborhood, they have kosher Chinese restaurants. Their egg rolls have pastrami in them. I love hot pastrami, but never get the pastrami egg rolls, so I get the spring rolls. Disney gives you buttons for a first visit. Maybe can get a button for first taste of a Pastrami Spring roll.

I stop by Jungle Cruise, get a return time for 12:19 pm, it is currently 11:05 am.

Problem, need to get lunch, where to eat? I post the question and the open quick service locations specialize in certain types of food. I settle for Columbia Harborhouse which does fish type food. I am used to meals including drink, but without the dining plan, you pay for it. I decide to get a milk shake, it came with a donut on top. I use the mobile order on the app.

I head inside found a table, see my food is ready. Now I do a stupid thing, I leave my backpack of electronics by the table to get my food. Lucky it was still there when I returned with my food.

The line for the Haunted Mansion wraps around almost to the entrance of the riverboat. Never seen a line this long before.

I go on the Haunted Mansion. I ride my scooter through the Lightening Lane return line having a DAS pass for it. After sitting in the stretching room, I am directed to another room where I leave the scooter and board the doom buggie before others do.

I go ride Jungle Cruise.

I see they made some changes to the Jungle Cruise since I last rode it. Watch the video if you want to see it

After Jungle Cruise, I went back to ride Buzz again. Last time I rode it, they offered to let me ride it again.

I then went to Haunted Mansion gift shop. Lots of things I like here. For my nephews son, I see a buildable Haunted Mansion model kit. This also caught my attention, a Madam Leota lamp, It was on sale from $125 to $75. When they brought out the box, I was surprised by the size of the box. So I decide to ship both boxes to my nephew, but I need his address. Tried to call him, couldn’t reach him. I looked it up, found his street address minus his zip code, called my sister in law, his mom, also had to look it up. Finally found it and set it up for delivery. I also got a discount using my DVC membership.

I go on Hall of Presidents

I then queue up for the afternoon parade, first up some school marching bands.

Then the parade itself.

I decided to leave the park for a break. Walking along the path, I see a Mr Toad popcorn bucket.

I get it without thought. My open hope it is to ship it home. I find out later, I cant. So will hope for the best. They give me two small cups of pop corn, since I didn’t want to dirty the holder.

The primary way of going from the Magic Kingdom to the Wilderness Lodge is via boat. The crew was having a problem controlling other guests. To leave the boat, i need to go around the center area, but other guests kept getting in my way. I was able to get off the boat,, but it was a little hard, nicking the sides of the boat with the scooter.... thought at one point i damaged the toad thing.. but didnt.

I put my camcorder, cell phone and such on charge. i wanted to rest also, but i didnt have enough time.

My ADR is for 6:40 pm at a new place, Steakhouse 71. This used to be the Wave inside The Contemporary Resort. I would need to take a boat to the Magic Kingdom, then scooter over to The Contemporary. I left the resort after 5. i stopped into the lounge and had some food, which maybe i shouldnt, but i did.

Well.. i just missed a boat.

Lining up right after me, a couple were dressed and planning to eat at Victoria and Alberts. They left the line for the boat and ordered car service.

I just took my camcorder and one rechargeable battery for my cell phone in case i went to a park after eating.

Time wise, it wasnt looking good. The boat that picked me up, had to go to Fort Wilderness first

Now finally on my way to Magic Kingdom

We docked at magic Kingdom at 6:15. Now i need to go through a bag check leaving the boat dock. That went relatively fast, as i had no bag to check.

I made it to the restaurant at my time. i was checked in, but needed to use the bathroom. While taking care of business, i got the text my table is ready.

While being escorted to my table, i was asked if i ate here before. Yes.. under previous names, not the current one. Thinking more about it, i was here in 2000 when this area was the arcade and a qs take out location.

Onion Soup, a must, ordered it.

I got the ny strip, with mashed potatoes, and the Steakhouse signature sauce.

Crème Brulee for dessert.

The meal was good. I asked, they also do take out service. in a couple of months, will be staying at nearby Bay Lake Tower. So its a interesting choice.

I have one word to describe how i feel now.... tired. After eating, i went and bought some things at the Contemporary resort. I bought a train car and a 50^th Anniversary license plate frame. I dont know what i was thinking, i decided to take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and get the boat there. Why didnt i just take the same path i used? i wasnt thinking. To enter the monorail station at The Contemporary, you need to go through a bag check. I was very tired, not thinking straight, they probably thought I was a little tipsy. I was setting off the alarm, the guards were talking to me, I didn’t understand what they were saying. They examined the bag of items I just bought, it was the license plate frame, lots of metal to it. I apologized, and headed up the ramp to the monorail station. I got off one stop after the Contemporary, which is the TTC. i asked one of the workers where i can find the boat launch, said i need to go to the Magic Kingdom, which i thought i was at. jumped back on the monorail, got off the right stop, found the boat launch.

Video of the boat from Magic Kingdom back to Wilderness Lodge, at night, was playing around with setting on the camera, seeing the difference.

I was without my scooter and just one camera.

Once back at my resort, i looked around the pool, went up to my room changed into my bathing suit, wore one of the bath robes to the pool.

sat in the water for about 20 minutes, then went back up to room about 10 pm, they shutting down the lounge, but got in a couple of things, like apple juice and chocolate milk.

different offerings in the lounge

I run my own portable network to attach my computers, firestick, and echo hub to the resort wifi. For some reason the portable router wasnt working.

i started to reprogram it, with a little difficulty, then i realized i dip switch accidentally setting was changed. once i realized that, i had everything working in a couple of minutes.. which is why i am still up 1:20 am, completing yesterdays and todays blog.. so i dont forget.