Venue: Disney World – Orlando, FL
Dates: Feb 9th-20th, 2021 (12 Days)
Note: Because the Disney World articles are a multi-post review, I suggest you start with the very first article in this series entitled “Disney World”, then read on from there….. Enjoy!
Day 10: Today would be our second visit to the Epcot Center. Because we already hit the rides the first time around and the park opened at 11am, we took our sweet time in getting there. We only had one goal in mind on this day; to Drink Around the World! Although Disney’s official time of the year to do this is during the “International Food & Wine Festival” which runs from July through November. We went rogue and did it anyway. The goal was to have one beer in every single one of the eleven countries represented while taking in the atmosphere of each, including some intercontinental snackables…. Let’s do this!
The first stop was England. This was one of my favorites because they had a very comfortable English style pub called the “Rose & Crown” with tables facing the lake. There’s nothing like sitting down and enjoying your first pint for the day in style. It definitely could have been a might sort grimma, ya bloody wanka. Next, off to Canada, Mexico and then Norway where the Frozen attraction resides and the lovely Princess Anna entertains the crowd. With four beers in my system now, she appeared to be more like the Goddess of Love.
Next, we stepped into China. I was expecting the beer kiosk to check my social credit score to see if I was worthy enough to spend $10 plus tip on a can of spy-suds. Evidently, I passed the test but I couldn’t help but look around for facial recognition cameras. After all, Disney is known for being authentic to the original. The area and culture are interesting but I downed my cup of Tsingtoa Lager and rushed towards the German border to avoid any chance of being arrested. To my surprise, I didn’t have the pleasure of viewing any Uyghur slave camps on the way out either…. Mulan!
After Germany, we hit Italy then landed in the USA…. I’m Home! This is the largest of all the country areas. It includes an outdoor arena featuring live Yankee entertainment. See, Walt Disney was a huge proponent of American free enterprise values. He understood the downfalls of overreaching government interference due to his global travels. He proclaimed on many occasions that without the ability to create freely, the Happiest Place on Earth could have never existed. I patriotically took in all the red, white & blue, drank down a good ol’ Budweiser while humming America the Beautiful. Yep, I was completely free to stumble a bit to my next destination…. God Bless America!
Side Note: Character Interactions: In order to comply with Covid regulations, the organized nightly parades showcasing the much-loved Disney characters is temporarily cancelled. To make up for this hole in the overall experience, you will witness sporadic mini-parades throughout the day in all four parks. For example: First you will hear loud music coming from nowhere. Soon there is a carriage full of princesses accompanied by Mickey Mouse and friends rolling down the street. I prefer this to the over-crowded electric parades. It’s fun to watch people react to the surprise of it all and the interaction seems more personal this way.
Coral Reef Restaurant: Yeah, with 8 beers now in my gut, it was time for some grubbins. This seafood eatery gives you a great view of one of the largest marine exhibits in the world. The “Seas Aquarium” holds enough water to fill 54 Olympic-sized swimming pools and is home to over 2000 different types of sea creatures. As you would expect, I ordered another tall, cold glass of brew and toasted my new finned friends as they swam by in the tank. The food, service & atmosphere were great and the pricing was reasonable. Now that we were filled up, we had 3 more countries to visit to accomplish our drunkin’ objective…. Off to Japan!
By this time the night was beginning to set in. We visited Japan, Morocco and finished up in France. There is a pastry shop within this Little Paris called the “Boulangerie Patisserie”. The food here is totally worth the 20-30 min wait in line. Not only did the snacks compliment our tasty beverages, we picked out an assortment of tasty treats for family and friends back home. Most importantly, the mission at hand was accomplished. We made it…. We Drank Around the World!
Day 11: We were supposed to be leaving today but there was some crazy snow-storm in Dallas where our connecting flight was scheduled and subsequently cancelled. I guess with frigid weather like that going on in Texas, it was fate that we stay another night with Mickey Mouse. Closer to the beginning of this trip, we took a tour of the Epcot area resorts. Today we decided to jump on the Monorail and do some resort hopping around the Magic Kingdom.
We began our trek by stopping at the “Contemporary Resort”. This is the very first hotel built in all of Disney World. Today, there are over 30 resorts housing over 36,000 rooms on premises. Wow. This original structure is definitely a well-kept relic from the past and it’s cool how the monorail runs right through the center of it. This hotel also hosts Character Dining at “Chef Mickey’s” in case you brought your kids or have a date that is starstruck by these beloved cartoon personalities.
Next, we visited the “Polynesian Resort” where most of the buildings are shaped like tiki huts. It was raining hard while we explored the hotel grounds. The downpour mixed in with Florida’s humidity actually made it seem like we were on an Polynesian island. Again, well done. My favorite spot here is the “Kona Cafe“. The cuisine is light and delicious and reasonably priced. Tip: order the bread pudding ala mode for dessert. Gotta get it! It’s not on the menu so you must request on your own. Furthermore, be sure to reserve a table for lunch. Our server informed us that by dinner time this tasty treat will have run out.
The “Grand Floridian Resort & Spa” was the last on our list to visit. As we stood on the second-floor mezzanine overlooking the lobby, the enormity and elegance of this hotel proved impressive. The center piece of this area is a grand piano. Live on the keys is a tuxedo clad piano player performing classical music to perfection. The Floridian is one of the most prestigious resorts on Disney property with a hefty price tag to match. You can spend a week here in luxury or put a substantial down payment on a pretty sweet vehicle…. Hmmm?
Day 12: We woke up to our final day in paradise. The Magical Express bus was scheduled to pick us up mid-afternoon sometime. We headed down to our favorite watering-hole the “Ale & Compass” for breakfast including some Micky Mouse waffles covered in chocolate and whipped cream. Good stuff. Afterwards we packed all our belongings, stored it with the Bell-Hop counter and took off to explore in our final few hours. We decided to hit a couple of pool bars within the Boardwalk area to have some farewell drinks. Our favorite that afternoon was the carnival themed “Leaping Horse Libations” located at the Boardwalk Villas. Great atmosphere, service and drinks.
The problem now is, it was time to go. You know how it is, once you get in party mode, you don’t want it to end. As we headed towards the bus, we decided to make a pit-stop at a small market inside our hotel to buy a few brews to-go. We enjoyed sneaking sips of beer during our 40-min ride to the airport. It was pretty obvious to the people in our vicinity that we were enjoying the commute a little bit more than most. By the time we arrived at Orlando International Airport, the cans were empty and we were feeling pretty good…. Airport Bar!
In hindsight, it all was amazing…. except for this….
Housekeeping: I was consistently annoyed about the lack of service provided within our over-priced suite at the “Yacht Club Resort“. We were told that our room would be cleaned every two days due to Covid-19. Ok… No Prob. Evidently, this only includes picking up any towels left on the floor and emptying the trash cans. This does not include making the bed, changing the sheets, lining the trash cans, or replenishing the extras (coffee pods, paper coffee cups, shampoo, soap, etc). I called the front desk on many occasions throughout our 11-night stay to no avail.
To get the “extras”, I had to randomly hit up the housekeeping staff in the hallways. On the 8th day of our sheets not being changed, I finally went down to speak with the front desk directly (Yeah… 8 days… 5-star resort). I was informed that due to Corona, the policy is one of “minimal contact” and there was nothing that can be done. It seems obvious to me that management is simply using the disease as an excuse to cut back on services (The staff does 1/3 the work for 1/3 the pay). I expect much more from Disney. This brand is known for its quality. I don’t believe that if Walt was alive that he would have ever allowed this type of skimming on customer service.
Feeling irked and frustrated, I returned to my suite. Before leaving the room for the day, I left a note and $10 on the bed pleading for housekeeping to change the bedding. It worked! Evidently Covid is not such a threat when there’s a whopping 10 bucks involved. My point is: If there were 3 different customers utilizing that room in the same 11-night period, they would have definitely fully cleaned the room 3 times. Why not do the same for a higher paying, longer-term customer? Point #2: If the company is that concerned about the negative effects of Covid, then why allow a packed crowd to roam freely in the gigantic shopping area known as Disney Springs?… Oh yeah…. $$$$$
Overall… This trip was an Awesome Experience!
There is a reason why millions visit Disney World annually: While inside this magic bubble, life is kinder, sweeter and full of fantasy. Vacations here are expensive, even when discounts are available. Those who can afford it may make multiple annual visits. Others save-up for years for just one holiday with Mickey & friends. Disney is a perfect example of the American Dream come true; that through risk-taking, imagination and tons of hard work; anyone can accomplish and create amazing concepts for themselves and for others to enjoy…. Are you ready to pursue your version of the American Dream???
ARTIST VIDEO SHOWCASE
To Showcase Your Music Video, follow the instructions in the Sidebar
ALFA / Louder
To get more info on ALFA, click here: Alfa-music.com
LOUDEN SWAIN / Basement Of No Hope
To get more info on LOUDEN SWAIN, click here: LoudenSwain.com
Did you Get Your Fix? If you found this article interesting or helpful… Please Share!
Click on the share tabs below to post on the social media site of your choice… Thanx!
