Title Chosen: World of Friendship! October 2017 Girls Getaway: Aloha to the Poly/ MCO Hyatt p33-4

Room is just like the BCV two-bedroom studio we had two years ago. All that space comes in handy when there are four adults staying together. After looking at the map of the area, I'm pretty sure DW would want that close proximity to DS. Only problem I see with it is that it would give her easier access to the stores for shopping for the grandkids. If anyone complains about the distance walking from the YC to the BC Marketplace, I think you post the layout of this place and tell them it could be worse.
So if Janet was forced to sleep in the Jacuzzi, did ~NM have to use the playpen?
Katesdad
 
It looks like the resort has great facilities for adults. The pictures are so complete, with beautiful shots of the views from the balcony.

The tub looks very nice, but did you guys really have to make Janet sleep there? :)

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You know me! I feel compelled to document all of the features of a room where I am staying.

The night before the cruise I took with Teena staying at a low-rent hotel near the port she exclaimed "You're not taking pictures of this room are you?" Yes. Yes I am.

The view from this room was so great. One night when we got back and opened the doors we could hear music from Disney Springs. I lucked out with all the views I had during this trip.

So Janet had the choice of sleeping in the bathtub or bunking with Nannette who had the plague. She chose the plague. And to my knowledge, did not get sick either during or after the trip.

Phew!

::yes::
 
Nice shots of Saratoga Springs! Nothing like a Disney sunrise! The red striped shirt on Janet in the Jacuzzi reminded me of "Where's Waldo...I mean Janet"?
 
I was in Grand Stand when I stayed there so much closer to the main building. I love your location though! That view of Disney Springs is awesome! I think I would have rather had that then being closer to the main building.

I agree. Since we didn't use the food courts or other amenities in the main building, having the gorgeous view and convenience to the bus stop was a great location for us. My pals did make a trip to Disney Springs by way of the path.

:goodvibes
 


Room is just like the BCV two-bedroom studio we had two years ago. All that space comes in handy when there are four adults staying together. After looking at the map of the area, I'm pretty sure DW would want that close proximity to DS. Only problem I see with it is that it would give her easier access to the stores for shopping for the grandkids. If anyone complains about the distance walking from the YC to the BC Marketplace, I think you post the layout of this place and tell them it could be worse.
So if Janet was forced to sleep in the Jacuzzi, did ~NM have to use the playpen?
Katesdad

There was plenty of space! We never felt like we were bumping into each other.

It's cool that we were so close to Disney Springs. I liked being able to see it, but I'm not a shopper so I tend to avoid visiting there. I would rather be at the parks.

I love your idea of showing how spread out this resort is compared to the BC/YC/BCV!

We didn't find the playpen until later!

Nannette and Janet had the king bed, ~Ninja was on the pullout in the living room and I took the cushions and had my own private space near the door.

:cat:
 


(A “two bedroom” villa for the price of one)
You fooled me into thinking that you actually had a free upgrade to a two bedroom villa. ;)

It was really helpful to have the kitchen- we stored cold drinks in the fridge, the coffee maker was a lifesaver and I acted as short-order cook in the morning to make sure everyone had breakfast before we headed off into the parks.
The coffee maker and the ability to cook a real breakfast are my two favorite things about the kitchen in a villa. :) I was the short order cook on our last villa stay, even making bacon and eggs for breakfast. Pre-cooked bacon is easy to stow in your luggage. ::yes::

There were two bathrooms in the room- one with a bathtub and vanity area, the other had the shower stall and toilet facilities
Did Janet crawl in there just for the picture or was she testing it out as a bed?

The SSR villa looks surprisingly similar to the BCV before it was remodeled. The lamp is unique, though. :)

I LOVED my little cubby!
That looks like a nice, private place to sleep. Would a blow up bed fit in that space?

This was the view we saw when we pulled back the curtains and went out on the balcony.
I love your view. It would be worth it to stay there just for that.

Our room was close to one of the pools, but I never saw it.
It was too chilly out to swim, anyway. We were hoping to swim at our resort but it never was hot enough hot to really enjoy it.

So Janet had the choice of sleeping in the bathtub or bunking with Nannette who had the plague. She chose the plague. And to my knowledge, did not get sick either during or after the trip.
Janet was very brave. ::yes::
 
Your room and view is gorgeous! I love all the sunrise/nighttime pics from your balcony, so stunning!

Thanks! It really felt like a lot of room in our villa, especially since my last two recent trips were on cruise ships in compact spaces. Our view was so awesome. I didn't know where to look! Paddlefish? The hot air balloon? Rainforest Café?

It was all beautiful and fun!

:goodvibes


Absolutely love the room. Cool space indeed. Totally agree Disney’s sunrises and sunsets are THE BEST!!!!

We never felt cramped in the room. I enjoyed having the kitchen so I could make breakfast (and of course, COFFEE) in the morning!

The only issue we had with the 4 of us is that I wouldn't let anyone run the dishwasher until our final day, once it was as full as we could get it. It pains me to run a dishwasher with just a few things in it.

We had spectacular sunrises as we prepared for the parks in the morning.


:sunny:
 
You fooled me into thinking that you actually had a free upgrade to a two bedroom villa. ;)

Sorry about that!

We made it work with the sleeping configuration, but having an extra bathroom (do you get that with a 2 BR, I don't even know?) would have been nice!

:laughing:


The coffee maker and the ability to cook a real breakfast are my two favorite things about the kitchen in a villa. :) I was the short order cook on our last villa stay, even making bacon and eggs for breakfast. Pre-cooked bacon is easy to stow in your luggage. ::yes::


I definitely need something to eat in the morning to get going, so it was great to have the ability to make a quick breakfast to start the day.


Did Janet crawl in there just for the picture or was she testing it out as a bed?

The SSR villa looks surprisingly similar to the BCV before it was remodeled. The lamp is unique, though. :)

Janet was just posing for photo op!

There was not a lot of Disney theming in the room, but I liked the subtle horseracing touches.


That looks like a nice, private place to sleep. Would a blow up bed fit in that space?

It was a really nice cubby for me. Since I was enclosed by 3 walls, it really felt like a private space.

A twin-sized blowup might fit there- two cushions and the backrest fit perfectly. Since my height is exactly 5 feet, and I don't think I touched either wall, I think the length of the space is slightly more than that The width was equal to the width of the pull out sofa cushions- the front door could open fully into the room without any obstruction.
I love your view. It would be worth it to stay there just for that.


Janet was very brave. ::yes::

She was very brave!

To my knowledge, she did not get the plague.

She said as long as she was not sick on the plane ride home, she would be able to handle whatever happened.

:sick:
 
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I am here! Happy to read another girls-only trip!
Wow the drama with your dad and the phone company is crazy. Why do things like that happen right before vacation? Glad everything worked out! I'd hate for you dad to lose his phone number he's had for 60 years!!

Wow lovely pictures from SS. I have never been there, but love how close it is to Disney Springs. Especially beautiful sunrise pics!
I hope you get to do everything you wanted to do on this trip! It's kinda nice to not have too many set plans!
 
I am here! Happy to read another girls-only trip!
Wow the drama with your dad and the phone company is crazy. Why do things like that happen right before vacation? Glad everything worked out! I'd hate for you dad to lose his phone number he's had for 60 years!!

Wow lovely pictures from SS. I have never been there, but love how close it is to Disney Springs. Especially beautiful sunrise pics!
I hope you get to do everything you wanted to do on this trip! It's kinda nice to not have too many set plans!

:welcome:

Thanks for joining in!

I can't even describe how awful I felt about the phone situation! I was soooo happy when the person at the phone/cable company was able to help me.

The only time I had been at Saratoga before was passing through- we took a boat from DTD so we could catch a bus to EPCOT, then return to the Beach Club.

The room we had was great.

:goodvibes


Wow your view is beautiful and I love your comfy sleeping place :goodvibes

There was so much to look at with the view! At all times of day (and night)

My sleeping nook was awesome! It was relatively private and there was a place for all my stuff, right at my fingertips. It wouldn't work for everyone, but it was the perfect size for me.


::yes::
 
Wednesday October 25
First Park and a DISmeet


After taking a quick look around the villa and saying a brief, but distant hello to Nannette, we left her to rest while we headed to EPCOT.

Our plans for the rest of the day were to sample some Food & Wine snacks (none of us had eaten much during our travels), hit some rides we had fast passed and to meet a couple of DIS Board legends for the first time, then head over to Magic Kingdom to end the night with the Happily Ever After fireworks show.


Before entering the park, we stopped by guest services. Janet needed to activate the discounted tickets she purchased through a promotion for Canadian residents and ~Ninja upgraded her tickets to an annual pass since she would be visiting the world during the holidays.


Once we entered, we stopped for photopass pictures- these are on ~Ninja’s account- I haven’t seen them yet.


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We stopped for a couple of minutes to watch this interactive “show”. It was difficult for me to get a good look due to being “height-challenged”, so we moved on to more important attractions- Food & Wine booths!


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We chose a great spot in Future World West. There were several booths within the same plaza, so we grabbed a table and selected a few things to share.


Flavors from Fire:

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Earth Eats:

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Active Eats:

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Smoked Corned Beef with Warm Crispy Potatoes, Pickled Onions and Blonde Ale Beer Fondue featuring Romano and American Grana Cheeses


This was the first thing we got. It was tasty and large enough for the 3 of us to share and have plenty.


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Ricotta and Zucchini Ravioli with Rustic Tomato Sauce- This was bland – not outstanding in any way


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Grilled Beef Skewer- This got mixed reviews. I thought it was ok, Janet like it and ~Ninja did not. Or the other way around. I can’t remember.


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Loaded Mac & Cheese with Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers and Green Onion- I’m not a mac & cheese lover. I took a bite to try it and it was good. Got rave reviews from my dining companions.


Then we move onto a couple of sweet treats


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Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Mousse with a Caramel Drizzle- this was light and very good.


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Sweet Avocado Crema with Strawberries, Yellow Cake and Tortilla Streusel- This offering intrigued us so we had to try it. It was very sweet and the avocado flavor was subtle. Very subtle. I’m not sure we could really detect the avocado flavor. I’m not sure if that is a bad thing or not. If I recall correctly, Janet really liked the tortilla streusel component of this.


During the Orange Banded Monkeys trip in August 2015, I discovered the “Secret Bathroom” in EPCOT (Future World West). We hit that up and peeked in the Light Lab station. No food here- lots of interesting beers and ales here, and a couple of non-alcoholic drinks.

Looked like a fun place to hang out.


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Overall, a good start at Food & Wine. More to come.


Continued in Next Post: We ride some rides, meet some friends, share a drink
 
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We Ride Some Rides, Meet Some Friends, Share a Drink
Continued from previous post



We had these Fast Passes scheduled for the afternoon:


Wednesday, October 25, 2017 - Epcot

Living with the Land 2:35 PM - 3:35 PM

Soarin' 4:05 PM - 5:05 PM

RELAUNCHED! Mission: SPACE 5:05 PM - 6:05 PM


Front row on Living with the Land. Woo-hoo!!!


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There were actually people working in the research lab when we went by. None of us have ever seen real people in there before.


After our boat ride, we still had a few minutes left before our Soarin’ window opened up. ~Ninja decided to hang back and chill out at Sunshine Seasons while Janet and I headed off in search of some caffeine for me. I knew there was a Joffrey’s coffee kiosk near the International Gateway, so we headed that way, maneuvering around the crowds and checking out some of the other Food & Wine boards for future visits.


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At the coffee spot, I saw this sign for the Shakin' Jamaican:


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Sounded good to me, but I declined the flavor shot. I didn't detect any hints of caramel or vanilla. I think it would have been a little better if it had a little more sweetness to it.


When we returned to the Land, we were able to immediately ride. We asked to wait for row B1 so we could avoid the screen distortion and the distraction of dangling feet.

No pictures here.

We criss-crossed Future World to check out the new version of Mission Space.


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I have never gone on the extreme orange version of the ride and have no interest in doing so, especially since hearing reports of 9 year old Ben puking when he tried that version.

Janet wasn’t feeling the ride after her day of travel, so she bowed out and went to the Food & Wine Festival Center nearby. ~Ninja and I were paired with a young girl and her father. The girl was a little freaked out, but ~Ninja chatted with her to help calm her fears.

This has always been a can-miss ride for me. It was nice to have a new version to experience, but I still wouldn’t care if I miss it on future trips.

One we were done with the ride and met back up with Janet, I had a much anticipated meet up on my schedule. Over the years, I have become friendly with Kathy (KatMark) through trip reports and on Facebook. She is a friendly, caring, Disney-loving friend who recently moved closer to the magic in Florida from the Chicago area. It was her last full day of a F&W trip with her girlfriend Nicky (MickeyNicki), herself a DISboard legend for her awesome dining reviews.

~Ninja peeled off as we crossed the International Gateway and Janet and I went on to have a lovely meet with Kathy and Nicky. We talked food & Disney, two favorite topics!

And here is the proof it happened!





Thank you kind stranger for the picture!


One of the reasons we decided to meet with the gals in France is so that I could sample a drink that they both recommended: The “La Passion Martini Slush” replaces the Cosmo Slush this year. Ingredients for this newly perfected cocktail include Vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron, Cranberry & Passion Fruit Juice!


I asked for an extra glass and Janet and I shared this YUMMY YUMMY Drink.


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We had accomplished everything we wanted to in EPCOT. Our plans for the evening were meeting up with ~Ninja for the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. Since we were near the International Gateway, we had a stroke of brilliance.

We would visit our beloved Beach Club and take a bus there to MK.



Next up: Welcome Home!
 
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Food and Wine looks great! I have yet to experience it.

Dis meets are always awesome!

Looks like a great day so far!
 
Looked like a fun first day.
We made the mistake of getting C on Soarin once and the distortion was horrible.
What a great picture of your DIS meet.
 
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What a brilliant first day. You are all such happy, smiley people in the photos it made me smile as I read. Love that you met some disfriends in France. We love to enjoy an adult beverage or a crepe at the little waterside tables there :)
Stroke of genius to catch a bus to MK from your home from home :)
 
Hi there, Dee. This is my first one of your TRs, but I've seen your comments on many I've followed in past. Looking forward to hearing more about your friendship trip. :)
 

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