Episode 2: Kat and Minnie’s Great Adventure
One of the fun things about taking Kat with me to Disney World for the first time together was sharing things with her that I have done so many times before. My family first went to Disney World in 1987 and my husband, daughter and I have gone every year for 22 years. We just kept going year after year and honestly I can say each year we found something new and exciting we had missed the previous year. It was great fun to share with Kat things I had enjoyed over the years.
What we love most about going is the opportunity to capture just for a few days that childlike happiness and abandon that is inside all of us, but gets pushed back at times by the real world we live in. We love the opportunity for a short time to experience Disney magic. It truly is an escape.
Over the course of 22 years we have made many wonderful friends at Disney. Many were working the front desk at the resorts 20 years ago and now are in executive management positions. Those friendships will play a large part in the magic of our trip.
Ok, now back to Saratoga Springs, we checked in and got our informational packet. It is always interesting at check in because my friends always make notations in the computer about my arrival and put me on VIP status and as the front desk agent reads the computer, you can suddenly see her eyes get large and then she disappears behind that door that one always wonders what is back there.
What is back there is the management team and the agent will return with a manager who introduces himself to Kat and me, gives me his business card, just in case I need anything while there. We were given our gold resort IDs which identifies us as VIPs and as I thank the manager for his assistance and gather our things, I turn and look at Kat and literally she is grinning like a Cheshire cat.
I asked Kat if everything was ok and she replied, “Oh my, are we really going to be VIPs?” I laughed and said, “for this week at least”. It was a wonderful start. I drove Kat around the resort property while our room was getting the final touches completed.
A two bedroom vacation club villa includes a master suite, with large spacious bath with Jacuzzi tub and 2 vanity areas and large walk in shower. There is a full size kitchen, great for breakfast and snacks, living area, dining, laundry and a second bedroom with large bath. Even though Kat protested greatly I gave her the master suite. I would like to say that was purely out of the kindness of my heart, but I prefer the queen bed when sleeping alone over the king bed. Kat seemed quite at home in that big bed. For a great slide show of photos of the resort click here:
Resort Photos
After getting our things unpacked and laughing at Kat a couple of times, for saying over and over, “all this room for just the two of us”, we made our plans for the evening.
Our first journey to explore Disney’s themed deluxe resorts was scheduled for dinner at the Grand Floridian resort. The Grand Floridian transports you to a world of Victorian charms and stately elegance. This resort delivers an opulent experience that begins inside the Grand Lobby, which stands over 5 stories high, sparkling with the light from 2 brilliant chandeliers. With its gleaming white exterior, intricate gingerbread trim and gorgeous stained-glass domes, the Resort is an architectural marvel. Due to the beauty of the grounds it is a favorite place for weddings.
In 1987 on a trip to Disney World, I met one of my dearest friends, Donna, who at the time was working at Disney’s Caribbean Resort. We have been close ever since. We were meeting her for dinner and I was thrilled as I had not seen her in over a year.
We had reservations for the Grand Floridian Café. The café is a favorite as it has floor to ceiling windows along one entire wall, over looking the beautifully landscaped grounds, pool and lagoon. If one is lucky and you get a window table you might get a glimpse of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. We had a short wait, as the café was really busy that night and while we sat in the outer lobby Kat and Donna got acquainted.
While they were chatting I participated in one of my favorite Disney World activities, people watching. There truly are some fascinating people that come to Disney from all walks and regions of the World. I always try to figure out where they are from and what occasion brought them to the World. It is also very interesting to note that at different times of the year, you get different types of guests. Being late February we saw many snowbirds, some in groups (flocks of snowbirds) and some with their grandchildren. Families with very young children, not yet in school and since bike week was coming up in Daytona, even some bikers. Due to that week being Mardi Gras, we saw many, many people from Louisiana, decked out in their purple and gold. Being an Ole Miss fan and us having won in football this year at LSU (which does not happen often), this turned out to be a funny occurrence, more on that later.
Our pager went off and as we were taken to our table, I knew this was going to be one of those trips where things would just go right; we got a table by the window. Considering the restaurant was packed, this was great luck. Of course Kat thought it was always that way when I go, so it was funny to inform her, no even at Disney World we have had a few trips from Hell. For one thing in going for 22 years you eventually end up at the hospital, experience a few hurricanes, including Charley and occasionally meet some not so happy people along the way. This trip however was blessed with everything being magical. I think I will take Kat more often, I think it was her good karma.
Our waiter was young, cute, (that never hurts) and even though the menu had great variety we all three ended up ordering roasted chicken, with potatoes and green beans. I have reflux so I always have to order something that will not bother me later, and I thought Kat and Donna were being nice and not ordering something I would drool over, but could not have, but they assured me they truly did want the chicken. Roasted chicken will be a frequent companion in our trip.
Besides Kat said, “we have to leave room for Key Lime pie”. Little did we know how funny that comment would be.
While we were eating I looked out the window next to our table and I see six beautiful white ponies coming down the walkway. I know immediately what this is, Cinderella’s coach going to a wedding. Kat had never seen them before, so she was thrilled, a magical moment that many never get to see. The little girls in the restaurant were so cute, oohing and aahing at the window.
The meal was delicious and the company the best and Donna and I enjoyed our time together laughing and sharing stories with Kat of past Disney trips. Just when I thought the evening could not be better we hear this loud boom and looking out our window we see fireworks burst across the sky. Many people got up from the restaurant and went outside to stand on the walkway to watch, but we were lucky to be able to see them from our table. Kat was as excited as the children. Disney does fireworks better than anyone.
After enjoying the fireworks, Kat and I decided since we were on a fun getaway, dessert was a must. The café offers a wonderful dessert sampler with four delicious mini desserts including a key lime tart, very reasonably priced for under $10. However we really only wanted key lime pie, so we noticed that they also offered a key lime pie slice for $ 3.50. So we ordered the pie slice. Well the funny thing was when the waiter brought out our pie slice, it was no slice of pie, it was the very same miniscule key lime tart offered on the sampler, but instead of paying $2.50 for it as part of the sampler we had gotten the same thing for a dollar more.
Kat looked at the postage stamp size tart and said, “Where the heck is the pie?” Donna and I just about wet our pants laughing so hard. Even our waiter agreed that it was probably the biggest rip off on the menu. If we had a camera with us we would have taken a photo, but we would have needed a zoom lens to even find it, being so small. But it was good for a laugh and through the week as Kat and I continued the quest for Key Lime pie, we laughed and hoped if we ordered some, we would at least be able to find it on the plate.
It was getting late and we decided to head back to the villa and said our goodnights to Donna. We needed a good night sleep because the next day was our adventure to Magic Kingdom, for a very special night.
Additional photos are available for viewing on my profile page. Here is the link:
Photo Album
For additional photos of the Grand Floridian Resort:
Photos
What we love most about going is the opportunity to capture just for a few days that childlike happiness and abandon that is inside all of us, but gets pushed back at times by the real world we live in. We love the opportunity for a short time to experience Disney magic. It truly is an escape.
Over the course of 22 years we have made many wonderful friends at Disney. Many were working the front desk at the resorts 20 years ago and now are in executive management positions. Those friendships will play a large part in the magic of our trip.
Ok, now back to Saratoga Springs, we checked in and got our informational packet. It is always interesting at check in because my friends always make notations in the computer about my arrival and put me on VIP status and as the front desk agent reads the computer, you can suddenly see her eyes get large and then she disappears behind that door that one always wonders what is back there.
What is back there is the management team and the agent will return with a manager who introduces himself to Kat and me, gives me his business card, just in case I need anything while there. We were given our gold resort IDs which identifies us as VIPs and as I thank the manager for his assistance and gather our things, I turn and look at Kat and literally she is grinning like a Cheshire cat.
I asked Kat if everything was ok and she replied, “Oh my, are we really going to be VIPs?” I laughed and said, “for this week at least”. It was a wonderful start. I drove Kat around the resort property while our room was getting the final touches completed.
A two bedroom vacation club villa includes a master suite, with large spacious bath with Jacuzzi tub and 2 vanity areas and large walk in shower. There is a full size kitchen, great for breakfast and snacks, living area, dining, laundry and a second bedroom with large bath. Even though Kat protested greatly I gave her the master suite. I would like to say that was purely out of the kindness of my heart, but I prefer the queen bed when sleeping alone over the king bed. Kat seemed quite at home in that big bed. For a great slide show of photos of the resort click here:
Resort Photos
After getting our things unpacked and laughing at Kat a couple of times, for saying over and over, “all this room for just the two of us”, we made our plans for the evening.
Our first journey to explore Disney’s themed deluxe resorts was scheduled for dinner at the Grand Floridian resort. The Grand Floridian transports you to a world of Victorian charms and stately elegance. This resort delivers an opulent experience that begins inside the Grand Lobby, which stands over 5 stories high, sparkling with the light from 2 brilliant chandeliers. With its gleaming white exterior, intricate gingerbread trim and gorgeous stained-glass domes, the Resort is an architectural marvel. Due to the beauty of the grounds it is a favorite place for weddings.
In 1987 on a trip to Disney World, I met one of my dearest friends, Donna, who at the time was working at Disney’s Caribbean Resort. We have been close ever since. We were meeting her for dinner and I was thrilled as I had not seen her in over a year.
We had reservations for the Grand Floridian Café. The café is a favorite as it has floor to ceiling windows along one entire wall, over looking the beautifully landscaped grounds, pool and lagoon. If one is lucky and you get a window table you might get a glimpse of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. We had a short wait, as the café was really busy that night and while we sat in the outer lobby Kat and Donna got acquainted.
While they were chatting I participated in one of my favorite Disney World activities, people watching. There truly are some fascinating people that come to Disney from all walks and regions of the World. I always try to figure out where they are from and what occasion brought them to the World. It is also very interesting to note that at different times of the year, you get different types of guests. Being late February we saw many snowbirds, some in groups (flocks of snowbirds) and some with their grandchildren. Families with very young children, not yet in school and since bike week was coming up in Daytona, even some bikers. Due to that week being Mardi Gras, we saw many, many people from Louisiana, decked out in their purple and gold. Being an Ole Miss fan and us having won in football this year at LSU (which does not happen often), this turned out to be a funny occurrence, more on that later.
Our pager went off and as we were taken to our table, I knew this was going to be one of those trips where things would just go right; we got a table by the window. Considering the restaurant was packed, this was great luck. Of course Kat thought it was always that way when I go, so it was funny to inform her, no even at Disney World we have had a few trips from Hell. For one thing in going for 22 years you eventually end up at the hospital, experience a few hurricanes, including Charley and occasionally meet some not so happy people along the way. This trip however was blessed with everything being magical. I think I will take Kat more often, I think it was her good karma.
Our waiter was young, cute, (that never hurts) and even though the menu had great variety we all three ended up ordering roasted chicken, with potatoes and green beans. I have reflux so I always have to order something that will not bother me later, and I thought Kat and Donna were being nice and not ordering something I would drool over, but could not have, but they assured me they truly did want the chicken. Roasted chicken will be a frequent companion in our trip.
Besides Kat said, “we have to leave room for Key Lime pie”. Little did we know how funny that comment would be.
While we were eating I looked out the window next to our table and I see six beautiful white ponies coming down the walkway. I know immediately what this is, Cinderella’s coach going to a wedding. Kat had never seen them before, so she was thrilled, a magical moment that many never get to see. The little girls in the restaurant were so cute, oohing and aahing at the window.
The meal was delicious and the company the best and Donna and I enjoyed our time together laughing and sharing stories with Kat of past Disney trips. Just when I thought the evening could not be better we hear this loud boom and looking out our window we see fireworks burst across the sky. Many people got up from the restaurant and went outside to stand on the walkway to watch, but we were lucky to be able to see them from our table. Kat was as excited as the children. Disney does fireworks better than anyone.
After enjoying the fireworks, Kat and I decided since we were on a fun getaway, dessert was a must. The café offers a wonderful dessert sampler with four delicious mini desserts including a key lime tart, very reasonably priced for under $10. However we really only wanted key lime pie, so we noticed that they also offered a key lime pie slice for $ 3.50. So we ordered the pie slice. Well the funny thing was when the waiter brought out our pie slice, it was no slice of pie, it was the very same miniscule key lime tart offered on the sampler, but instead of paying $2.50 for it as part of the sampler we had gotten the same thing for a dollar more.
Kat looked at the postage stamp size tart and said, “Where the heck is the pie?” Donna and I just about wet our pants laughing so hard. Even our waiter agreed that it was probably the biggest rip off on the menu. If we had a camera with us we would have taken a photo, but we would have needed a zoom lens to even find it, being so small. But it was good for a laugh and through the week as Kat and I continued the quest for Key Lime pie, we laughed and hoped if we ordered some, we would at least be able to find it on the plate.
It was getting late and we decided to head back to the villa and said our goodnights to Donna. We needed a good night sleep because the next day was our adventure to Magic Kingdom, for a very special night.
Additional photos are available for viewing on my profile page. Here is the link:
Photo Album
For additional photos of the Grand Floridian Resort:
Photos
Total Comments 10
Comments
-
Just a quick post....
Minnie I love the way you write!
I'll be back tomorrow to throw some extra comments in!
Posted 03-29-2009 at 10:54 PM by ItzKatzTime
-
VIP? Did she say VIP? You would have thought Minnie was the Walt Disney and I was his special guest! It was a little over the top of my head that first day. But it didn't take long to sink in....and I liked it!
The villa was absolutely wonderful and I begged Minnie to take the large King room, but she would have nothing of it. I rolled around in that bed and made myself right at home...purring all week.
Dinner was deeevine and I was the lucky one sitting by the window. The picture of Cinderella's carriage doesn't do it justice. To see it lit up at night with a bride and groom in it was just pure magic. The solid white ponys were precious. Thank God I had not lost the child still inside of me....because when looking through the eyes of a child you see things differently. The fireworks were just the topping on the cake!!!
I will only say that the "Key Lime Pie" was like a lemon square cut into fours...and you get one of the four pieces with a thin triangle of chocolate on top!
We laughed so hard and to think we almost got one and shared.
Meeting Donna was a treat and seeing and listening to Minnie and her longtime friend talk together was so cool. You could tell they had a special bond of friendship that few keep over 20 years.
The first night of magic was almost over. Minnie and I sat in the living room of the villa and basked in the beauty surrounding us and all the laughs we had. I turned in early and snuggled under a goose down comforter in that comfy king size bed. As I fell asleep I whispered, thanks Walt......I mean Minnie!
Posted 03-30-2009 at 08:55 AM by ItzKatzTime
-
I am cracking up at the key lime quarter of a square. your suite sounds magical! how long were you all on the road?Posted 03-30-2009 at 09:49 AM by Tootsie
-
And yes the vacation club villas are pure bliss. The 3 bedroom grand villas are even more so. It is the thing we love most about being members, staying in something larger than a hotel room, even doing laundry at night while Kat wrote postcards was enjoyable.
Tootsie did you mean how long we were gone, we stayed 5 nights, it went by so quickly.Posted 03-30-2009 at 02:38 PM by Minnie
Updated 03-30-2009 at 06:42 PM by Minnie -
Tootsie, I can't really remember it went so fast. Do you mean hours driving or days spent there? We talked, laughed and looked at the scenery the whole time on the way down and then back. I learned one thing about Minnie she doesn't like rows and rows of pine trees on both sides of the road!!!
While we were there, 5 1/2 days, each moment was fleeting, but forever a wonderful memory!!!
Posted 03-30-2009 at 10:35 PM by ItzKatzTime
-
Hey watch out there, or I will be forced to share about your need for diet cokes which in turns leads to the tour of local bathrooms and that leads to dangerous situations.Quote:I learned one thing about Minnie she doesn't like rows and rows of pine trees on both sides of the road!!!
Posted 03-31-2009 at 11:27 AM by Minnie
-
I meant how long were you there? 5 1/2 days sounds perfect for a great getaway. so, are you guys going to tell us about any wild happenings? or does that "stay in disney"? ha ha.Posted 03-31-2009 at 02:43 PM by Tootsie
-
Tootsie, I think I better keep my mouth shut.
I'll let Minnie go there!!!
Well, we did almost get beat up by a woman and her family...oooops I've said enough! I think that's in episode 3.
Posted 03-31-2009 at 03:35 PM by ItzKatzTime
-
I'm enjoying reading about this trip so much! It sounds like so much fun. It also sounds like a lifetime friendship has been made. What better place than at the magical world of Disney!Posted 04-04-2009 at 09:19 AM by Johnrudy
-
Wild Happenings, really did not have any until we got ready to come home, that will be in the last episode.Posted 04-04-2009 at 01:28 PM by Minnie
Total Trackbacks 0
