GF Gals 2010 *WHAT FUN!*

[lives4disney]

OK! The names have been changed to protect the innocent....or actually the guilty.... So I'll be C, Maxie is M, BlueSkies is BS....Mike is MrM...Mrs Mike is MrsM ....Mickeynut is D, Kelly is K.....Sheila is S......Mandy is MM.....Kim is KM....

We made our second annual GF Gal trip and of course stayed at the Grand Floridian. We had a fun itinerary planned and were all looking forward to meeting up and having some laughs.

Anywhooo....Kelly and I were flying in a bit earlier than the other friends so that we could tour the moderate and value resorts & take photos. We had reserved a 4 door "midsize" car to fit all of our luggage. But....when we stepped into Alamo's midsize row our eyes zoned right in on the cute little yellow bug sitting among the family car type Chevys. There were a couple PT Cruisers that looked interesting, too......but that little yellow bumblebee called out to us. There were some biffs already on it so we took pics before we left the parking garage and noted them to the Alamo employee as we pulled out of the garage. Even though we're crazy drivers we try and be careful with a rental car. And if we're extra cautious and drive like seniors we don't want to take any blame for somebody else's fun.



Little did we know that little bug was a TRANSFORMER!

WOW was that little bumblebee car FUN!!! Transformers...more than meets the eye.... That car had some pep

[BettyCrocker]

Oh boy.... what a start already!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lives4disney]

Well...we got into our little bumblebee and we zipped off to the Grand to check in.

We arrived and Christina brought us up to the 3rd floor and Vonnie checked us in. Our room was overlooking the Beach Pool. We booked our room back in early August, prior to the new MK View Club Level category, so we did without that view this time around. I really love the view we had. I enjoy people watching and seeing the monorail glide into the GF station. I'm not crazy about looking at the Poly, but it's far enough in the background that it doesn't bother me too much.

This was our view that night....I have GOT to figure out the night settings on my camera one of these trips. But it was a very pretty view.



AND...to our surprise there were some lovely things in the room for us.....

Love my Tabasco...but that wasn't in there.....

I've got to go find the correct pics.....bbiab!

C

[lives4disney]

The room was decorated with balloons....in my FAVORITE color.


And some of our good friends M and BS sent this beautiful basket....*thanks so much, ladies* It was such a sweet gesture...and we were blown away. I wound up shipping it home and I'll mail Kel some goodies from it along with some other things.


These flowers were in the room.....


And this lovely gift....


And this little baby....would this count as a highly desired and rarely seen "towel animal"?


AND.....our good friend and fellow Atkins dieter sent us THESE!!! OMG....Lisa, we love you!!!!


We checked in....went up to the lounge, got some champagne and just relaxed. We were in our happy place. After chatting with some CMs we like up there we went down to Gaspies and ordered some dinner. I had the southwest chicken sandwich...it was actually very good. K had the chicken strip nugget finger things....always good. That's my standard order and all I've ever tried from Gaspies...but I was feeling adventurous.

We unpacked....got settled a bit. It was about midnight and I thought I'd take a shower tonight instead of in the morning since I know what an early riser K expects me to be. And I am soooo not......so as much as I could get done in the evening as possible...I wanted to do. Anyway....so I go in the bathroom....and turn on the water....it was after midnight at this point...the water just doesn't want to warm up. Kept it running....and running....and running....but it was cold to luke warm. Anyway....I figured I'd suck it up and just get it done. So I did...but when I had to stick my head under it to shampoo I SCREAMED. K comes running, "ARE YOU OK?" she shouts....yes....I am...but just a bit winded from the freezing water. OMG...that was nasty. I hate swimming in cold water....I am shivering now just remembering that dose of cold water..All I could think of was THANK GOD my conditioner is a leave in and didn't need to be rinsed out.

So....we settled down for the night to TENNIS....on TV all night even while we slept....because the remote didn't work. (yes...we were too lazy and tired to get up and shut the TV off) THEN we discovered the A/C didn't work, either. So...K decides enough is enough....no utilities is a drag in a hotel room. So she gets on the phone to call the desk....well geuss what? The phone doesn't work. Only certain buttons did...so she called valet and luggage services and had to have them connect us. She wound up speaking to a manager.....things were fixed the next day. We slept with the sliders open and got an early wake up at 530 am when the grounds keepers were out with the leaf blowers and weed wackers. So....up and atom...time to start the day. We were planning on a quick bfast in the lounge and then visiting the resorts to take pics.

Our view in the morning...from 4327 (not the best room over all I have to say) There were a lot of things falling apart....more than mentioned.







And THESE PEOPLE! Can you believe people wear socks and cropped pants? At least their sweaters were tangled and they were wearing pearls. They were guests at the GF afterall......


I got to drive. hehehehe......



Our first stop was......hmm.....Carribean Beach Resort....(here's just a taste...I'll post more on the resort thread) Over all we both agreed it's TOO LARGE....there were crowded bus stops all around the resort....the main building/foodcourt/pool area just seemed too small. Just our opinion.



Boy that little bumble bee gets around.....










We took a ton of pics....had some fun with the bumble bee...wound up in some Disney areas we probably shouldn't have....did a bunch of U turns....and wound up at......Port Orleans next......we really both liked PO best of all the mods. I think it's very charming & well kept up, and they have Coke Zero... *I think* I bought the refillable mug at CBR and (yes I know naughty me...shame shame) used it at each resort we visited. I needed my caffeine fix. So we'd visit, take pics, check out the beverages and filler up. I bought some yummola beneights at PO fQ....they were a hazzard.....I bought six thinking I'd share and save some for later...but they were so powdery sugary I didn't even touch them - thought I'd make a mess.... haha...well they did make a mess all over the black leather seats in the bumblebee. oops...and by the time I did get to try them they were hard as cardboard. I guess they are best eaten fresh. Live and learn.....but even as cardboard they were sweet goodness.



Here are a few from PO....I'll post more on the resort threads. We both liked PO.

[maxie86]

Who let those peeps with the socks in the Grand!!!!!!! Good thing they had pearls and tangled sweaters.

Bummer about the room issues. Let me tell you about our room...... Later, we didn't arrive yet, you'll just have to wait.

[BlueSkies]

Channing What a terrific start to our TR!!! Cant wait to read more...


YIKES who let those tacky sock peeps into the GF!!!!

[DisneyDreamer]

(02-01-2010 09:51 PM)BlueSkies Wrote:  Channing What a terrific start to our TR!!! Cant wait to read more...


YIKES who let those tacky sock peeps into the GF!!!!

THOSE TACKY SOCK PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN UPGRADES!!!

[BlueSkies]

(02-01-2010 10:02 PM)DisneyDreamer Wrote:  

(02-01-2010 09:51 PM)BlueSkies Wrote:  Channing What a terrific start to our TR!!! Cant wait to read more...


YIKES who let those tacky sock peeps into the GF!!!!

THOSE TACKY SOCK PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN UPGRADES!!!

Oh ya looks like upgraders to me!!! I think they were upgraded from POP!!!!!!

[lives4disney]

(02-01-2010 10:18 PM)BlueSkies Wrote:  

(02-01-2010 10:02 PM)DisneyDreamer Wrote:  

(02-01-2010 09:51 PM)BlueSkies Wrote:  Channing What a terrific start to our TR!!! Cant wait to read more...


YIKES who let those tacky sock peeps into the GF!!!!

THOSE TACKY SOCK PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN UPGRADES!!!

Oh ya looks like upgraders to me!!! I think they were upgraded from POP!!!!!!

Well....we were AT Pop for lunch ..... maybe they hid in the trunk of the Bumblebee and climbed up the side of the GF and hopped over the balcony.....

Pop pics to come!

I can't wait to hear about your room, too, Maxie! I have to hurry up and get to where you guys arrive.

Chan

[PrincessPaczki]

What a great beginning on your trip review. I can't wait to read more!

[twinmum]

Great start! Thanks for the pics and more details! (But now I really know I am going to miss the GF...but the bpys are so gonna love the Poly, and this trip is all about them!)

[lives4disney]

Next up was Coronado Springs.....We really had a difficult time even finding that resort. The Disney signs were great for all the others, but this one took us about 45 minutes of driving in circles and hitting dead ends. Not that it wasn't fun and laughs trying to find it....Lots of crazy whippashitties involved in hunting down CSR. I was expecting to really love it, too. The photos I've seen make it look so nice IMO and the new rooms are gorgeous (from pics) Once we found it, the main building area looked neat...but the more we browsed we both came to the same opinion of - eh. It was our least favorite - well actually we did not like CBR either but we expected not to.....the only mod we think WE would stay at would be PO resorts. But I wouldn't anyway unless I could get two connecting rooms...one king bed and one with the 2 doubles for the kids.

CSR was HUGE HUGE HUGE for one thing....very spread out. We seriously could not even find the pool area. We tried to drive over to it and just wound up endlessly circling the resort. There were many areas where the landscaping was very rough, dry, and bleh. It made the place look shabby. I know people will claim that's the southwest...well I think not. Been to AZ many times and the resorts there have lush full landscaping. They manage it in the southwest, so what is up with CSR....I think it's excuses. We both thought of Maxie right away and how she cannot stay there. We can't sacrifice Maxie for the sake of room photos. Also, the only ONLY people we even saw there were conference peeps with their badges and laptops. I know that also happens at the S/D, but this was a super quiet resort and didn't have the kids running thru or a Disney feel IMO. Just bleh.

Here are some CSR pics....I did want to like it.... Kelly has more pics - I was driving, she was hanging out the window snapping photos while we cruised around. Mine are only of the main building area and that area was pretty nice. It's the individual guest room areas that are shabby looking. Plus - it's sooo spread out. What a PITA to get from one area to another.

[Tinker*Bell]

CSR is awful to find. It is off the same exit as the All Stars, and Keith and I missed that damned exit twice. We were half way to Kissimmee before we could turn around. (Seriously- we went under the "see ya real soon" sign!)

I wish you had loved CSR, it is the one mod that looks like I would like the themeing. But your pics of PO look cute too, and anything covered in powdered sugar is a good thing.

LOVE THE YELLOW BUG / TRANSFORMER!!!

[grannyminnie]

This is fun! Keep it comin'...

[lives4disney]

I'll post more CSR pics on that resort thread.....

Next up...POP!

It was about lunch time so we figured...plenty of peeps RAVE about how great the food courts are at the value resorts and gripe about the deluxe resort quick service options so we thought we would take one for the team and eat lunch at POP.

First off....we pull into the entry and what do we see?!?!?!? Signs for "Color TV" And "Air Conditioned Rooms" OMG....we were laughing hysterically.....and so much so that as we were leaving we had to do a Uey and go back to photo those signs so we could show the manager at the GF. POP has these amenities but our GF room didn't...... haha ....so as I said K was hanging out the window so she has the pics.

Here we are parked.....proof. We were there.








Beverages.....I was looking forward to filling my mug up with a frozen coke (haha) but I couldn't even find it. I wonder if they don't have them any more. Too many peeps using their refillable mugs on them?


Lunch was OK....just regular generic park type food....I don't see the big deal or what makes this food court so wonderful. I didn't think they had a ton of different or unique options....it was just LARGE in there. I wasn't tempted by anything fantastic so I stuck with pizza. We had to get that famous tie dye cheesecake....omg....it's like playdough. Looks like it and tastes like it. Bluck. Not feeling the cheesecake love at POP so we had some apples and caramel, too.....and bought a couple slices of the cheesecake for some CMs we know like the stuff. Go figure. It had the texture of spackling paste. The pizzas were just like you'd get at Pizzafari in AK IMO. OK if you're in a pizza craving type mood - they'd do the trick but not what I'd want here at home.





We took a lot more photos...I'll post them on the resort thread.

Anywhoo....so we had lunch there...thought we saw some Dissers, too. We were sitting there in the food court talking & laughing and low and behold...this family is across from us with their luggage spread out on tables.....they pull a half gallon of milk out and four cans of Coca Cola out of another bag. Not talking like carry on bags or anything...but suit case luggage. Then she went up to the beverage station and did something strange with ice. K and I couldn't even figure out what..... Maybe somebody got burned on the toaster in the other bag. We bet she had her fridge swap fridge nearby, too. We took some pics....but they probably are best left on the SD card. After lunch we walked around just a bit and took more pics...and said OK we're done. We had to circle back to take pics of those funny signs at the entry and luckily we didn't have to go thru the gate area and talk to the security person again.....we got to U turn out of there. We left thinking we'd hit the All Stars, but guess what? We didn't.

We went back to the GF and hung out. I have to say....seeing the other resorts really made us appreciate our un airconditioned broken down room at the Grand. That room really should have a huge red X taped across the door....but it was still better than what else we saw out there.

We walked out to the pool bar for some frozen drinks. Yummo. Two smallish drinks...*I am SURE they shrunk the cups they use* I had my Kahlua colada and K had the pina colava...they were $18 - so $22 with the tip. Wowza. It was fairly cool out but beautiful and sunny....so we walked around out there a bit...nothing interesting going on so we came back in. It was afternoon ish....we had a dinner ADR at the castle that night and also S was coming in, arriving late. So we hung out a bit at the GF, rested a little, V had written some nice stuff on our Castle ADR hoping to get us a good table by a window ...and went over to the MK. We checked into the castle and were told "Sorry, we do not take table requests any more" ...OK. Whatever....from being there before I was pretty sure the tables for two were right at the windows anyway. YES....I was right. We barely waited 5 minutes and were brought upstairs to our lovely table at the window. They put the receipt thing on the table and where the comments should be was "BS" I took a pic, but not sure I should post that....it has some full names on it.

Dinner was OK...but we both agreed very very not worth it. Our food was eh to bleh and the show was cheesy to bad....our view was lovely. I am sorry but IMO that place was grubby and dirty. Our ADR was 540pm so not like a super late nighter where they've had a bajillion peeps go thru. The carpet near us had straw wrappers on it all smushed and tangled...there were food crumbs...it reminded me of the feeling I get in sticky chef Mickey's.

I had salad, K had crabcakes..both pretty eh. We both had the chicken.... The chicken was OK. It was choke it down dry, though. Good thing the server was fast on the iced tea refills. For dessert K had the creme brulle which she was actually afraid to eat because the temp seemed funky. I tried it and advised it was safe. I had the chocolate buckle thingy....it had an outer crust made of stone. It will be a few years til I brave the castle again unless DDs really really need to eat there. We left with our "spirit sticks" though (wands)...and the server was really good to us...the view was amazing.....so there were some pluses. But sooo not worth the $60 ish it cost each of us.....

Entering the MK....












The castle show was going on so we had to take the long way around back to the restaurant entry....




We're going to be up there.....










Look who was hiding way up high ....


The dining room....




Our view....


Menu....


Rolls came out first....


K's crabcake came out.....then I waited and waited and waited for my simple salad......but it just didn't come....


Here it is FINALLY....and it was nothing to write home about....just a pile of field green....nothing else. Bleh.


Then, because my salad was so delayed suddenly dinner arrived, too....those small tables for two get a bit crowded when they do that....


More view...and Suzy...




Creme brulle


Chocolate buckle...


Fairy God Mother....she does a silly little show...almost annoyed me it was so lame. *sorry but it's true*


I was happy to leave. Can't remember what we did in the MK...but I don't think it was very crowded....OH! We didn't do much because that night we were also going to take a peek around some GF suites...so we hurried back to the resort. I'll post those pics on the GF FAQ in a bit.

Before we left the MK, though, I made K stop at the confectionery ....I needed chocolate. WHAT A LINE WE WAITED IN! Whoa. The stores were CRAZY CROWDED. It was only about 7 or so....not even closing time. I have some treats to share with you all.....back in a bit.

And then suite tours...and S arrives!!!

[lives4disney]

Here are the treats I promised you....

I thought these were DARLING!












More of those apples....I thought they were such a great idea....I wished my kids were there and wanted some so I had an excuse to spend $9 on a caramel apple.




Yummo....


Back in a bit with more adventures.....
C

[PrincessPaczki]

Great photos!

The Mickey and Minnie candy apples look so good. Allmost to cute to eat.

[BettyCrocker]

Great start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not surprised that you didn't like CSR. My SIL stayed there in 2008 (her previous other stay was at POR) and they were VERY disappointed. Bummer about CBR too!!! Guess I can cross that one off my list. POR is pretty but the CM's are the pits!!!

I am glad you liked the kitchy theming of POP. I seriously love that place!!! (and they did get rid of the frozen coke machine last year.... it was always breaking, apparently). The tie dyed cheesecake is awful, but I guess everyone tries it once!

I am REALLY bummed that CRT was a letdown!! I have had the prime rib and the lamb chops (never the chicken) and liked them both. It's not YSH quality but it still the best food option for dinner in MK, IMO. And inquiring minds want to know how the TiW part worked with a pre-paid meal

[lives4disney]

(02-02-2010 11:14 AM)BettyCrocker Wrote:  Great start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not surprised that you didn't like CSR. My SIL stayed there in 2008 (her previous other stay was at POR) and they were VERY disappointed. Bummer about CBR too!!! Guess I can cross that one off my list. POR is pretty but the CM's are the pits!!!

I am glad you liked the kitchy theming of POP. I seriously love that place!!! (and they did get rid of the frozen coke machine last year.... it was always breaking, apparently). The tie dyed cheesecake is awful, but I guess everyone tries it once!

I am REALLY bummed that CRT was a letdown!! I have had the prime rib and the lamb chops (never the chicken) and liked them both. It's not YSH quality but it still the best food option for dinner in MK, IMO. And inquiring minds want to know how the TiW part worked with a pre-paid meal

Hehe...did I say I liked Pop? It was OK...but felt very cementy to me...like they turned a small college campus into it....or something...did not feel Disney to me...more Nick Hotel. Been there for one night...and my kids wanted to go back but I got out of it. Not sure I would stay there.....

I took a photo for you, Betty.....

[BettyCrocker]

Be nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not so cementy (did you walk among the buildings?) Back near the 80's and 90's its almost too lush. I know I am in the minority liking it, but the price is right!