DAY 2 – Friday 6/18/21
Who: Sue (62), DVC Member

Plan: Pool, Terralina lunch

Actual: Last night I set the laptop over on the desk, pulled the murphy bed down (note to others – move the ottomans out of the way) and watched a little more tv before turning out the light before 10. I’m impressed with the bed – it’s very
comfortable! The room was nice and quiet, initially. Those of you on facebook already know what happened. Around midnight I was woken up with banging/booming noises happening every so often. Eventually I realized what it was – fireworks!

I stepped out onto the balcony and had a clear view of the fireworks around World Showcase in Epcot. They’ll be starting the Epcot Forever show July 1st, so this was a rehearsal. I hope it’s not every night, as I like booming fireworks much better
at 9pm vs midnight! I didn’t mind last night, as it was so nice to see Disney fireworks again. I have zero interest watching from an overcrowded park, and then exiting with hordes of people all at the same time, but when the new show starts in
October I’ll watch it from the park at some point when I’m staying at Beach Club or Boardwalk and can walk home. Dealing with buses or skyliner at park closing is NOT something I’d want to do.

The skyliner was still running while I was watching the fireworks, which was a little surprising. I went back to bed after the fireworks, posted the pictures to facebook, and when I got up around 5am the skyliner was not moving. It started up by 6:45,
although guests wouldn’t be boarding until a bit later.

Since the humidity is so high I decided to go for a walk indoors (with air conditioning). I started on my floor and walked to the west end of the building, then to the east end, and back to the stairs by my room to go up to the next floor and repeat the
process. I noticed each floor has 2 grand villas – one at the east end and one at the west end. Those are gorgeous, but way too many points for my budget! I ended up doing just under 3 miles, stopped for a peak inside Topolino’s (very pretty, but
several culinary cast members were sitting in there having coffee so I didn’t linger), then went back to my room.

I’m not a Keurig person so I had to figure that out – made more difficult by the dim lighting making the instructions hard to see. Or maybe I’m just too old, lol. I use an old Disney refillable mug, so I had to heat a Keurig sized cup of water,
then repeat the process to finish getting enough hot water. I took it back to bed, using the little cutting board I’d brought as a flat surface since there’s no nightstands.

With the bed down, there’s still plenty of room to walk around so I might just leave it down – we’ll see. At 8 I got up to make breakfast, and with difficulty was able to put the bed back up. I may just skip it tomorrow, but I like having a sofa
to sit on so we’ll see. Breakfast was an egg and slice of bacon, followed by a small portion of the banana bread. Cleaning up was a bit of a challenge, as there’s no sponge or dish soap to clean out my silicon egg cooker.

After changing into a swimsuit & coverup I went down to the quiet pool before 8:30. It’s overcast and supposed to be cloudy all day today and tomorrow (then rain Sunday), so I didn’t get the sunny weekend I planned but I’m still glad to be here.
Maybe it won’t feel as hot out there!

When I got to the pool my magic band wouldn’t open the locked gate. It worked fine last night! I walked around to the other side and experienced the same thing there, so I went up to the lobby and told a nice young man what was happening. He reset
my band, and told me if it still didn’t work he’d let me in.

Back down at the pool my band still would not unlock the gate. Another guest came up behind me and said he’d use his card, but that didn’t work either. So, it was back to the front desk, where the previous guy was nowhere to be seen. I told
another guy what had happened, what the previous guy had done, etc. He took my band and went to the back room (I’ll admit that left me a bit leery wondering if I’d get back into my room after all this was done). After a while first guy came back up
the stairs and said it’s a problem with the system, as he had to let 5 different guests into the pool. He went out back to get my band back, then walked me down to the pool and got me in with his key card. Later I saw the maintenance company working
on it (3 guys from Brighthouse).

I never saw sun, but the plus side is I didn’t sweat at all, lol! People came & went, and it was a nice group – never too crowded, kids acted fine, etc. The only annoying thing was the sightseeing helicopters that buzz around quite frequently. I
could have lived without those! I ended up staying at the pool until 11:30 then gathered up my stuff and went to the studio to shower & dress for the day. Thankfully my magic band worked just fine <g>.

I left the room at 12:30, getting my car and driving over to Disney Springs. I wasn’t sure which garage was closest, so I just parked in Orange again since it’s the first one I come to. Plus, it’s not sunny out so walking isn’t miserable.
Although my lunch reservation wasn’t until 1:15 I went straight over to Terralina’s (about 20-25 minutes early). The bar looked pretty and wasn’t crowded, so I told the hostess I could sit at the bar & she waved me over there.

The bartender was an older woman and she was great. She’d call me darling or sweetcakes and I didn’t even mind, lol. I asked about their caprese salad, not sure if they made it with all the different color tomatoes and she assured me they used
different types of tomatoes but they’re all red. That was good news, so I ordered the caprese salad and a glass of the pinot grigio.

The caprese was outstanding – looked great, tasted fresh, and it was delicious! I’d happily get this again! I got 10% off on the food due to DVC or being a passholder. When I got back outside it was only 1:36 and I thought about wandering through
the Marketplace area but Disney Springs was so crowded I figured I’d just be wandering through stores and not buying anything so I’d rather get home to watch General Hospital. I turned around and got my car from the Orange garage and was back in my
studio at Riviera before 1pm. This resort is very well located for going to Disney Springs!

Since I’d be inside for a while I took the opportunity to charge my kindle, and updated the report & did some online stuff while watching GH. At 3 I decided to go take a ride on the skyliner, even though it meant I’d need to put on a mask for the
first time this trip. Approaching the Riviera station the ride to Caribbean Beach is right there but you have to walk around to the other side of the station to board a gondola going to Epcot. I was too lazy to walk the extra distance so I hopped on a
gondola headed to Caribbean Beach. This time of day it shouldn’t be busy.

I had no wait at Riviera, and no wait at Caribbean Beach either. Soon I was back onboard for the nice long ride to International Gateway. I do wish they’d extended the line to run over the park and exit at the front entrance rather than ruining it
for guests around Crescent Lake. Masks are required when boarding your gondola, but of course once the doors close and you’re the only party in there, off they come!

I walked over to Boardwalk, which had several people sitting at tables outside, eating either ice cream or pizza. It’s a shame Ample Hills Creamery closed, but I’m not paying Disney prices for Edy’s ice cream I could get at Publix for much less.
Between the Gideon’s cookie and the banana bread I don’t need ice cream anyway! The main pool was very busy (can’t call it the creepy clown pool since that’s been changed).

I strolled through the Screen Door and a Boardwalk shirt caught my eye. They haven’t reopened the fitting room in there yet, so the cast member said I could just go to the corner & try it on over my clothes. There’s a full-length mirror there (in
the toy section – so probably placed as a make-shift area to try on clothes) so it worked ok. I decided to buy it, and got my dvc discount.

From there I continued around the lake, going into Yacht Club and walking in air conditioning for as long as possible – the humidity was getting to be a bit much. Leaving Beach Club I gook the back path to International Gateway and had a short wait
for a gondola. The couple in front of me were not wearing masks, and when it was their turn the cast member gestured for them to put the masks on. We all had our own gondolas, so I don’t see what the point is.

Back at Riviera I was headed to the elevators and ran into a woman with an ice bucket in her hand who looked lost. I showed her where the ice machine should have been, but on the 1st floor that location is a door to the outside. I suggested she just go
up a floor and she’d find the ice & vending machines in that spot, so she joined me in the elevator.

My chilly little studio felt great after being out in the humidity, and I sat on the couch doing some online stuff before updating the report. I’m probably in for the night at this point, unless there’s some lucky break in the humidity and I decide
to wander around. I may sit on the balcony & watch the skyliner but know I won’t last long out there.

Just before 6:30 I fixed a few crackers with cheese and poured some wine. I saw online a judge had ruled in favor of Florida in the lawsuit against the CDC (saying they’d overstepped their authority with holding cruises hostage all this time). It’
ll be interested to see how things change after July 18th.

My daughter-in-law Amanda wondered if the resort sold any Luca merchandise, since it’s set in the Riviera somewhere. I’ll have to check tomorrow. I didn’t notice Disney movie stuff in the shop yesterday, but I could have easily walked right past
it without seeing it since I tend to look for resort-specific stuff.

I went outside and sat on the balcony for a while. It’s amazing how frequently the skyliner slows to a crawl temporarily. I think when I was on it earlier this happened at least 3-4 times. I don’t understand it, either. They have a wheelchair/
mobility challenged section, where people can board gondolas that aren’t even moving. If someone is slow or unsteady, why not go there rather than slow the whole line down for everyone??

I read online that as of yesterday the single rider lines were back – Test Track, Everest, Smuggler’s Run and one other. Come on fastpass – we need you too!

Today was a mostly great day – the only negative was the lack of sunshine (which also had the benefit of less sweating) and the disgusting humidity, which always exists this time of year. The problem getting into the pool was annoying too. But, the
time at the pool was very enjoyable!

My lunch at Terralina was fantastic, and it’s so easy to get there from here. I also enjoyed wandering around the Crescent Lake area, even though it was humid. Right now when I’m not doing the parks it’s ok to be staying elsewhere, but I’m
looking forward to Food & Wine Festival, where my trips will be at Beach Club and Boardwalk!

Tomorrow it’s supposed to be mostly cloudy again, but I’m headed to the pool anyway. I didn’t book a meal reservation because I wanted to eat from Primo Piatto at some point, so this will be the day. Maybe I’ll walk around Caribbean Beach later
if it’s not too oppressive outside – the walking path is nice & long, even though I don’t care for the resort itself.

Sue/WDW1972

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 6/18/2021 6:58 PM, Sue/WDW1972 wrote:

Actual: Last night I set the laptop over on the desk, pulled the
murphy bed down (note to others – move the ottomans out of the way)
and watched a little more tv before turning out the light before 10.
I’m impressed with the bed – it’s very comfortable! The room was
nice and quiet, initially. Those of you on facebook already know
what happened. Around midnight I was woken up with banging/booming
noises happening every so often. Eventually I realized what it was – fireworks!

Yeah, I saw that. I guess there are worse things to awaken you!

Since the humidity is so high I decided to go for a walk indoors
(with air conditioning). I started on my floor and walked to the
west end of the building, then to the east end, and back to the
stairs by my room to go up to the next floor and repeat the process.
I noticed each floor has 2 grand villas – one at the east end and one
at the west end. Those are gorgeous, but way too many points for my
budget! I ended up doing just under 3 miles, stopped for a peak
inside Topolino’s (very pretty, but several culinary cast members
were sitting in there having coffee so I didn’t linger), then went
back to my room.

I know I am weird, but I prefer to walk outside. That way, I get hot
and sweaty, and can then enjoy coming inside to the AC. Walking inside
with AC, I can;t go anywhere to get cooler.

I’m not a Keurig person so I had to figure that out – made more
difficult by the dim lighting making the instructions hard to see.
Or maybe I’m just too old, lol.

I can't remember the last time I had coffee NOT made in a Keurig. Jan
likes to drink flavored coffee. I prefer just plain, bold coffee. It's perfect for us.

When I got to the pool my magic band wouldn’t open the locked gate.
It worked fine last night! I walked around to the other side and
experienced the same thing there, so I went up to the lobby and told
a nice young man what was happening. He reset my band, and told me
if it still didn’t work he’d let me in.

Back down at the pool my band still would not unlock the gate.
Another guest came up behind me and said he’d use his card, but that didn’t work either. So, it was back to the front desk, where the
previous guy was nowhere to be seen. I told another guy what had
happened, what the previous guy had done, etc. He took my band and
went to the back room (I’ll admit that left me a bit leery wondering
if I’d get back into my room after all this was done). After a while
first guy came back up the stairs and said it’s a problem with the
system, as he had to let 5 different guests into the pool. He went
out back to get my band back, then walked me down to the pool and got
me in with his key card. Later I saw the maintenance company working
on it (3 guys from Brighthouse).

I still don't understand the issues with these Magic Bands not working.
On my trip to Chicago this week, the hotel let me use my phone to
unlock my door. It was just slightly slower than using the key. The
office I visited texted me a QR code that I used to get in. It just
seems to me that the rest of the world has figured this out, so why can
DIS get it right?

I left the room at 12:30, getting my car and driving over to Disney
Springs. I wasn’t sure which garage was closest, so I just parked in Orange again since it’s the first one I come to. Plus, it’s not
sunny out so walking isn’t miserable. Although my lunch reservation wasn’t until 1:15 I went straight over to Terralina’s (about 20-25 minutes early). The bar looked pretty and wasn’t crowded, so I told
the hostess I could sit at the bar & she waved me over there.

The bartender was an older woman and she was great. She’d call me
darling or sweetcakes and I didn’t even mind, lol.

Yeah, I get that sometimes, too. :-P

At 3 I decided to go take a ride on the skyliner, even though it
meant I’d need to put on a mask for the first time this trip.
...Masks are required when boarding your gondola, but of
course once the doors close and you’re the only party in there, off
they come!

OMG! You are so uncaring! You do realize you could have killed several peoples' grandmas? :-P

Leaving Beach Club I gook the back
path to International Gateway and had a short wait for a gondola.
The couple in front of me were not wearing masks, and when it was
their turn the cast member gestured for them to put the masks on. We
all had our own gondolas, so I don’t see what the point is.

Seriously, it is ridiculous.

My chilly little studio felt great after being out in the humidity,

See, that's why I do my walking outside, in the heat and humidity! :-)

Just before 6:30 I fixed a few crackers with cheese and poured some
wine.

Your own personal faux concierge lounge for one?

I saw online a judge had ruled in favor of Florida in the
lawsuit against the CDC (saying they’d overstepped their authority
with holding cruises hostage all this time). It’ll be interested to
see how things change after July 18th.

My personal opinion is that the CDC and other governmental health
bureaucracies have far too much power.

I went outside and sat on the balcony for a while. It’s amazing how frequently the skyliner slows to a crawl temporarily. I think when I
was on it earlier this happened at least 3-4 times. I don’t
understand it, either. They have a wheelchair/mobility challenged
section, where people can board gondolas that aren’t even moving. If someone is slow or unsteady, why not go there rather than slow the
whole line down for everyone??

Agreed. I thought one of the big benefits of this system was its
ability to take a gondola off to the side for slower-loading passengers.

I read online that as of yesterday the single rider lines were back –
Test Track, Everest, Smuggler’s Run and one other. Come on fastpass
– we need you too!

Personally, I could live without FP, but park reservations need to go
before I go to WDW.


--

- RODNEY

Next WDW Vacation?
Who knows!

Need to know more about RADP (rec.arts.disney.parks)?

http://www.radp.org
http://allears.net/btp/radp_bk.htm
http://allears.net/tp/abrev.htm

Are you still accessing RADP via Google? Why?
Get instructions on how to access to the "real"
RADP Usenet Group here:

http://meets.radp.org/usenet.htm

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)