This is probably one of the best handicapped-accessible ride attractions in all of Walt Disney World in addition to Journey Into Imagination.  If you are on an ECV you must transfer to a wheelchair, but the wheelchairs at this attraction are very spacious and comfortable.  The handicapped “clammobile” is larger than the others, with one seat for a companion and a ramp that folds out onto the moving walkway.  The wheelchair is then rolled onto the ramp, the ramp is turned and “folded” back into the clammobile so that you are sitting facing the attraction and the cast members will push you onto and off of the attraction.  Thumbs up to Disney for this innovation!

 Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

A mobility-challenged individual on an ECV must be able to transfer to a seat or a wheelchair in order to ride this attraction.  If you are not able to step down into the boat, a wheelchair boat is available; however, the wheelchairs on this particular ride are VERY narrow and cut into your sides (at least if you are short and wide as I am).  It is very hard to get in and out of the wheelchairs if you are larger than probably a size 10 or 12 and a member of your party must push the wheelchair onto and off of the boat, which is not an easy task!  The attraction is very much worth the inconvenience, although I probably would not do it every time I go to the Magic Kingdom.

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

On Friday, November 23, 2007, Jim, Sheila, Donna, Michele, Tony, Lane (10) , Julia (7), Blake (4) and I at dinner at O’Hana at the Polynesian Resort.  None of us had ever been there before, so we were all excited to try it out based on many of the reviews I had read.  Again, we arrived about 15 minutes before our 5:45 pm reservation and were seated within 5 minutes.  On the way to the table, the hostess explains the meaning of O’Hana (a place of family, laughter and sharing — Hawaiian style) and stops at the counter in front of the kitchen and shows the customers the specialty drinks and the dessert — an incentive to clean your plate!

This restaurant serves family style all you can eat, so it is like a buffet, but the servers bring the food to you!  There is a huge fire pit in the middle of the restaurant where the skewers of meat are cooked.  The price of the family-style menu is $25.99 for adults and $11.99 for children (3-9) and consists of the following:

STARTERS:  Fried wontons served with peanut sauce, chimichurri sauce (olive oil with spices) and harissa (I missed the description, but the server insisted that it is not “hot” even though it is a red color) and mixed greens with a honey-lime dressing.

APPETIZERS:  Spicy-sweet and sour shrimp and honey-coriander chicken wings.

SKEWERS PREPARED OVER AN OAK FIRE:  Marinated sirloin steak, Asian barbecue pork loin, mesquite grilled turkey and Hawaiian pork-sausage with pineapple teriyaki glaze.

ACCOMPANIMENTS:  Maui scalloped potatoes and stir-fried vegetables.

DESSERT:  O’Hana bread pudding a la mode with bananas foster sauce.

Although everything was great, the mesquite grilled turkey, Hawaiian pork-sausage and the Maui potatoes were a special hit with our party.  The kids had a great time because they got to roll coconuts with straw brooms around the restaurant and do a few other things with one of the cast members who took them on a “parade” around the restaurant.  Also I was told to let our server know that we were celebrating Lane’s 10th birthday and she brought out a cupcake with a candle — a nice touch!

We will very definitely return here for meals in the future!!!!!

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

On Friday, November 23, 2007, Jim, Sheila, Donna, Michele, Tony, Lane (10), Julia (7), Blake (4) and I ate lunch at the Grand Floridian Cafe at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World.  We checked in at the podium about 15 minutes early for our 12:20 pm reservation and were seated almost immediately.  I was not allowed to use my ECV at the table, but I was able to ride it to the table and then have Jim take it back out to the restaurant lobby and park it there while we ate.

Our server, Tangel, was absolutely excellent!  Blake, the 4-year-old, wanted the Captain Hook light-up clip which came with the Pirate’s Punch (raspberry lemonade served in a souvenir pirate cup with a glowing Tinker Bell or Captain Hook clip-on light — $6.49), but his parents said he would not like the raspberry lemonade.  He started to fidget until his sister Lane (10) offered to order that so he could have the light (she had ordered it on Wednesday when she chose the Tinker Bell light).  So Blake ended up getting the chocolate milk.  Tangel, however, covered all the bases and gave Lane the souvenir cup with Captain Hook and also brought an additional Captain Hook just for Blake.  He was so excited!

Jim and Tony both ordered the Reuben (corned beef, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing and sauerkraut on rye bread and served with marinated cucumber salad or homemade chips for $9.99 — Jim had the chips; Tony had the salad).  I had recommended this sandwich based on reviews I had read and they both indicated that the other reviews were right on the money.  Sheila and Donna both had the Orange Glazed Salmon Salad on a bed of mixed greens tossed with smoked applewood bacon and herb vinaigrette ($13.99). They both also gave this dish a hearty two thumbs up!

Michele only ordered the tomato-basil soup ($5.79) knowing that the kids would probably not eat all of their meals.  Julia got the grilled salmon dish off  of the children’s menu ($6.49) , Blake the child’s cheeseburger with steak fries ($6.49) and Lane had the adult version of the cheeseburger and steak fries ($11.99).

Having had a difficult time deciding what to order, Tangel recommended the Grand Sandwich.  I took her recommendation and was very, very glad that I did (open-faced hot turkey, ham, bacon and tomato, with a rich Boursin cheese sauce and fried onion straws - $11.99).  The Boursin cheese sauce was similar to a Blue Cheese sauce and was very YUM, YUM!

Having left no room for dessert, we were ready for our check.  When bringing the damages, Tangel, bless her heart, brought us a tin container filled with 9 huge (about 4″ diameter) sugar and chocolate chip/peanut butter cookies because she said the kids had been so good.  Well, even though Disney adds an 18% gratuity for parties of 8 or more, I felt she deserved much more for her personal attention and rewarded her suitably.

Such a great meal in such a beautiful and elegant setting!  Definitely thumbs up and deserving of many return trips!

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

So far I have found the following restaurants to be difficult to navigate on an ECV:

Big River Grill, Boardwalk (indoor eating area only; outside eating is much easier to maneuver)

Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingdom (even though they have a separate handicapped entrance, the tables are very close together and difficult to move between)

Grand Floridian Cafe, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (they will not allow you to use the ECV at the table, but they will allow you to ride it to the table and then have someone else in your party ride it out to the restaurant lobby and park it for the duration of your meal)

Coral Reef, The Seas With Nemo & Friends, EPCOT (because of the tiered seating to see the aquarium, you cannot use your ECV at the table, but they will let you ride to the table and then have someone take it back to the lobby for safe-keeping while eating)

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

PS — Please also check out my agency’s other blog on accessibility, www.AccessibleGetaways.com.

Easy access restaurants (using an ECV at the table):

Yacht Club Galley, Yacht Club Resort

Artist Point, Wilderness Lodge

Big River Grill, Boardwalk (outside eating only — it is very difficult to maneuver inside the restaurant)

Spoodles, Boardwalk

O’Hana, Polynesian Resort

Hollywood & Vine, Disney-MGM Studios

Mama Melrose’s, Disney-MGM Studios

Cape May Cafe, Beach Club Resort

ESPN Club

Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, Pioneer Hall, Ft. Wilderness Campground (must sit in Category 1 seating so that you will be on the main floor)

Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

PS — Please also check out my agency’s other blog, www.AccessibleGetaways.com

This restaurant is a must for us every trip that we can fit it in.  The Housemade potato chips (listed under appetizers) are to die for!  The chips are homemade (obviously) and covered with a blue cheese sauce, tomatoes and green onions.  Also, we have never left unsatisfied, no matter what we have ordered.

This particular meal, Tuesday, November 20, 2007, Jim and Donna ordered the spinach salad, Sheila had the salmon burger and I had the fried chicken salad with the addition of hard-boiled eggs.  Everything was absolutely perfect and we left fully sated.

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

On Wednesday, November 21, 2007, Jim, Sheila, Donna, Michele, Tony, Lane (10), Julia (7), Blake (4) and I dined at the Turf Club Bar & Grill at Saratoga Springs Resort by Downtown Disney.  The earliest ADR I could get when I made the reservation six months ago for a party of 9 was at 6:55 pm.  So we took advantage of the later dinner and shopped at Downtown Disney from 4:00 pm until we took the ferry across the lake to Saratoga Springs at 5:50 pm.  Even though we checked in at the podium at 6:30 pm (25 minutes before our scheduled ADR), we were not seated until almost 7:20 pm.

Claude, our server, started us out right away with our beverages, but the service after that lacked the normal Disney efficiency although I personally felt that most of the delay was the fault of the kitchen and not Claude.

The three kids all ordered from the kids’ menu — Lane ordered the pizza, which came with French fries and apples with brown sugar; Julia ordered the beef macaroni and cheese with a salad and another order of the apples with brown sugar; Blake ordered the mac & cheese with no side dishes.  Unfortunately, as with most kids, the mac & cheese was “too cheesy” which Michele, his mom, feels is almost impossible (it was obviously not mac & cheese from the Kraft blue box)!  And … even though their meals came with a dessert, the kids were too tired and full to even order it when dinner was finally over (this was in part due to the fact that the service was horrendous and dinner lasted almost two hours!).  The girls also ordered the Pirate’s Punch which consisted of Minute Maid light raspberry lemonade served in a souvenir pirate cup with a glowing Tinker Bell or Captain Hook clip-on light (both girls had Tinker Bell, of course) ($6.49).

Jim, Sheila, Donna and I ordered the apple-cinnamon barbecued spare ribs with vegetable slaw ($17.99).  All of us felt there was too much barbecue sauce, at least for our taste, and for me the vegetable slaw was way too spicy and “hot.”  I also ordered a side of the Turf Club Potatoes ($3.49) when Claude described them for Tony (the description sounded like a variation of scalloped potatoes) and they were excellent.

Michele ordered the Free-Range chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto and goat cheese served with roasted garlic risotto and balsamic glaze ($16.49).  She shared quite a bit of the chicken with Blake (who had the too cheesy mac & cheese) and said the risotto was too garlicy for her taste (and she is a garlic lover).

Finally, Tony had the grilled top sirloin steak with Turf Club potatoes ($20.99).  You could also add a topping of crab meat and grain mustard sauce for (total of $23.99) or a topping of blue cheese, portobello mushrooms and balsamic port glaze (total of $21.99).  Tony was pleased with his entire meal and Tony also thought the Turf Club potatoes were phenomenal!  In fact, I wanted to take a to go order of about 10 servings!!!

Donna, Blake and I ordered the chocolate milk shake (which we had seen while waiting for our table in the lobby — $4.29) which was superb; Sheila had the blackberry lemonade ($1.99) and Jim ordered decaf coffee which was not refilled until the very end of our meal, even though he has requested a refill quite a bit earlier.

Since our meal was not brought out until about 8:20 pm and we had tired kids on our hands, no one ordered dessert.  All in all, I would probably not go out of my way to visit this restaurant again; I might possibly try it again if I was staying at Saratoga Springs.

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

Who:  Myself (Nanci –55; DVC member), Jim (66) & Sheila (65) Menig (close friends) and Donna Renny (Sheila’s sister and now my good friend — 63) — 11/18/07 - 12/02/07.  My very good friend, Michele (41) and her family, Tony (36), Lane (10), Julia (7) and Blake (4) LaBaere — 11/20/07 - 12/01/07.

Traveling:  Jim & Sheila traveled by car, leaving their home in Oakland Township, MI (about 9 miles north of my house) on Tuesday, Nov. 13th and headed for Sheila’s sister’s (Sharon) house in Ellijay, GA for three nights.  Leaving Ellijay, they proceeded to Charleston, SC for two nights and finally arrived at Disney’s Beach Club Villas (BCV) on Sunday, Nov. 18th.

Donna and I traveled by car.  I left my house in Rochester Hills, MI (about 20 miles north of Detroit) on Friday, Nov. 16th, drove to Fremont, IN and picked up Donna about 12:30 pm.  We drove to Jefferstown, KY and stayed at the Country Inn & Suites Friday night (would recommend highly), proceeded to Cordele, GA (not bad, but don’t place a delivery order from the Pizza Hut nearby) and stayed at the Hampton Inn on Saturday night and arrived at the BCV on Sunday, Nov. 18th.

The LaBaere family (with kids in school) flew down Tuesday, Nov. 20th, after school let out and arrived at the BCV about 2:15 am on Wednesday (some “minor” delays by the airline).

After planning this trip for almost three years (I usually go to Disney twice a year, but my last trip with Michele’s family in tow was in 2004), this is the itinerary I finally settled on (not having children of my own, I so look forward to seeing the “I’m going to Mickey’s House” wonder on their faces.  Also you have to plan entirely differently since children tire out on some things, but suddenly they get their second wind and are good to go for another few hours!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH:  Jim, Sheila, Donna & Nanci Arrival Day.  Donna and I arrived about 2:45 pm, checked in at the brand new DVC member check-in desk.  Jim & Sheila arrived about 4:00 pm.  We hung out on the Boardwalk people-watching.  After having our luggage delivered to our 2-bedroom Villa, we walked over to the Yacht Club Resort and had dinner at the Galley (see review under Dining) at 5:30 pm.  After dinner we went over to the Winn Dixie on 535 and grocery shopped to fill our Villa with food we probably won’t eat!).

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH:  Free day.  We hung out at the Dunes Cove Pool (quiet pool) at BCV and then drove to the Wilderness Lodge to take in the Christmas decorations and had dinner at Artist Point (see review under Dining) at 5:30 pm.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH:  Celebration Day.  Shopped around the Boardwalk (Beach Club Marketplace, Fittings & Fairings at the Yacht Club) and stopped for lunch at Big River Grille.  After lunch, we finished shopping at the Boardwalk shops, continued around the Boardwalk passing the walkway to EPCOT and proceeded to the car and drove to Celebration.  We shopped for about an hour on Market Street in Celebration and then went to the Market Street Cafe for dinner (Sheila must stop every trip for the appetizer (which is big enough to share or for a meal) of the Housemade Potato Chips which are excellent in themselves, but are then smothered with blue cheese sauce, tomatoes and green onions (YUM! YUM!).  Got back to the BCV about 7:30 pm.  After a rousing round of dominoes and watching TV, everyone deserted me and I went down to the lobby to wait for the LaBaere’s to get here by limo (they were supposed to land at 11:58 pm, but did not land until 1:20 am so it was about 2:15 am when the limo delivered them to the BCV).  I had gotten them a separate 2-bedroom villa; check-in at that time was a dream.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST:  Downtown Disney Day.  Having just arrived, the kids wanted to swim, so the LaBaere’s all swam at the Stormalong Bay pool until about 1:30 pm.  We got to Downtown Disney about 4:00 pm and shopped until 5:45 pm.  We then proceeded to the marina and took the ferry boat to Saratoga Springs where we had dinner reservations at The Turf Club Bar & Grill at 6:55 pm. (see review under Dining).

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND:  HAPPY THANKSGIVING.  Free Day.  The LaBaere’s went swimming in the Stormalong Bay pool once again.  Jim, Sheila, Donna and I spent a leisurely morning in our Villa until about noon.  We then ventured out and walked over to the Swan and Dolphin Resorts for some additional shopping.  About 2:00 pm, it started sprinkling and we are now in our Villa watching a DVD, “The Ultimate Gift.”  I had booked Thanksgiving buffet at Spoodles on the Boardwalk for 6:30 pm.  We checked in at the podium about 6:10 pm and were prepared to wait because the Boardwalk was absolutely packed; however, we were seated within 15 minutes.  The buffet was excellent with the standard turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry jelly, but in addition they served some Mediterranean dishes (the usual theme of the menu) and some wonderful desserts!  Finished dinner about 8:00 pm and journeyed back to our Villa on the other side of Bay Lake.  What a wonderful way to spend a holiday — with special friends and in weather that is not freezing!  Hope everyone else had an extra special day.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD:  Viewing Christmas Decorations Day.  We left the BCV about 11:45 am and drove over to the Grand Floridian Resort.  Viewed the decorations — how beautiful and elaborate!  Checked in for our 12:20 pm lunch reservation at the Grand Floridian Cafe 15 minutes early and were seated almost immediately.  After a superb lunch (see review under Dining) we power shopped until we dropped.  We then boarded the monorail (none of the kids had ever been on) and rode around twice finally disembarking at the Contemporary Resort.  Shopped at all of the gift shops at the Contemporary and then boarded the monorail once again to go to the Polynesian.  After admiring their decorations and again exhausting the shopping there, we ventured down to the lake where the kids played on the beach for about an hour until it was time to go to dinner at O’Hana in the Polynesian Resort.  We checked in about 5:30 pm for our 5:45 pm reservation and were seated within 5 minutes.  None of us had ever been to O’Hana and it was a huge hit with all (see review under Dining) — in fact we wish we could go there again on this trip!  We rode the monorail back to the Grand Floridian, got our cars and drove back to BCV where we ended another spectacular day.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH:  Celebration of Lane’s 10th Birthday Day.  Lane received a Goofy birthday wishes call about 9:00 am, just as I had requested.  Spent a lazy day in our Villa and at the pool until it was time to get ready for dinner.  I had made dinner reservations at the clambake buffer offered at Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort (see review under Dining) at 5:40 pm so we could proceed directly from there to the birthday fireworks specialty cruise scheduled to leave from  the Polynesian Marina at 8:30 pm.  I was told to arrive at the Marina at 8:00 pm and that the cruise would begin at 8:30 pm.  We arrived at 8:00 pm and upon being told that the personalized cake I had ordered was already on board, Steven, our guide ushered us on board and we left the dock by 8:15 pm.  He took us on a very leisurely and very knowledge-filled jaunt around Seven Seas Lagoon and we “anchored” about 8:50 pm to sing “Happy Birthday” to Lane, enjoy snacks, pop and the chocolate mousse cake with chocolate icing (YUM!YUM!) which I had ordered from the Polynesian Private Dining.  “Wishes” started right on time at 9:00 pm and it was absolutely magnificent!  I had not even told any of the others what the birthday surprise was going to be so everyone, especially Lane, was really surprised and astounded!  After the fireworks were over, even I was surprised when Steven pulled over and we were able to see the entire Electrical Water Pageant that usually parades around Seven Seas Lagoon for the resorts on that waterway right in front of us.  So ended another wonderful, magical day at Disney!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH:  Theme Park Day (finally; didn’t want to buck all the crowds during the holiday week) — DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS.  We took the boat from BCV and got to enter into the Studios early for our Play & Dine Character Breakfast at Hollywood & Vine at 9:00 am.  We had never been to this new character experience which featured Leo and June from Little Einsteins and JoJo and Goliath from JoJo’s Circus.  After getting photographs and autographs and eating our fill of the buffet (see review under Dining), we proceeded to tour the Studios until our Fantasmic! dinner package at Mama Melrose’s at 4:00 pm.  They used to have a special menu for the Fantasmic! package; however, all adults may order one appetizer, one entree and one dessert for $32.99 (so make sure you order the most expensive items!) and children the same off the kids’ menu for $11.99.  After dinner, we went right over to the Hollywood Arena for the 6:30 pm Fantasmic! show — excellent as usual!  Since tonight was extra magic hours until 11:00 pm, we got in line for wristbands after the show to enjoy more attractions.  However, Jim, Sheila, Donna and I finally pooped out and took the boat back to BCV around 9:30 pm.  The LaBaeres stayed longer so that Blake could ride the Star Tours attraction again and again!  Another great day at my favorite place in the world!

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH:  Theme Park Day — ANIMAL KINGDOM.  We got up early and drove to Animal Kingdom by 8:15 am since today was early morning extra magic hour starting at 8:00 am.  Since we missed the crowd renting an ECV for Donna and getting a double stroller for the LaBaeres, we were able to ride the very first handicapped Kilimanjaro Safari vehicle to go out that day!  Since it was early in the morning, the animals were out in full force and we actually got to see a male lion standing over his mate and roar.  What a beautiful sound!  Even our guide told us that we had been treated to a very special treat!  Having fun on all of the attractions, we decided on a fast food lunch at Restaurantosarus which features McDonalds food — SPOILER COMING — even though all the printed material lists this as “McDonalds,” we were told by one of the employees there that the only thing that is truly McDonalds in this restaurant are the fries; the sandwiches are limited and are not the same as those you get at a franchise McDonalds.  The food was good and filling, however, and the restaurant had great access for my ECV.  After eating our fill, we proceeded to enjoy as much of Animal Kingdom as we could fit in until closing time at 5:00 pm.  Since our rumps were now dragging from two full days in a row in the parks (especially us older folks), we decided to skip our 6:00 pm dinner reservation at Boma in Animal Kingdom Lodge and drove back to ECV.   After getting a (somewhat) second wind, we decided to park hop and get take-out fish & chips from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop in the United Kingdom pavilion in EPCOT.  We went over about 7:30 pm — Jim and I picked up food for the four “old fogeys” and the entire LaBaere family went and stayed to see a little bit of EPCOT before it closed at 9:30 pm.  Jim and I went right back to the villa — the fish and chips are the same that are served in the Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room in the United Kingdom pavilion and are superb!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH:  Free Day.  Absolutely nothing scheduled.  However, after hearing about the Housemade Potato Chips in Celebration, Michele really wants to go, so we had planned to go again today.  However, after a very lazy day for the four fogeys and a day filled with swimming for the LaBaeres, we all pooped out and had In Room Dining at BCV.  The food was great and we took advantage of having the waiter place a beautiful tablecloth on our table and serve us!  What a way to vacation.  The four of us then proceeded to play dominoes, watch TV and proceed to bed before another day at the parks.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH:  Theme Park Day — MAGIC KINGDOM.  We drove to the Magic Kingdom and walked right in at 9:00 am.  Without huge crowds, almost every atraction we went to was a standby wait of 20 minutes or less so we rode and saw our fill.  Lunch reservations were at 11:40 am at Liberty Tree Tavern (see review under Dining) and dinner was at 5:10 pm at the buffet at Crystal Palace, a character meal featuring Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore (see review under Dining).  We watched the SpectroMagic Parade at 7:00 pm and Wishes at 8:00 pm from the walkway in front of Crystal Palace, which was uncrowded and the view was spectacular!  Another fun-filled day ended with our drive back to BCV.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH:  Theme Park Day — EPCOT.  dinner scheduled for 6:00 pm at Coral Reef in the the Living Seas pavilion.  We walked to the International Gateway and entered EPCOT at 8:30 am (I love walking around EPCOT before the gates open at 9:00 am) for our reservations for the Princess breakfast at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway pavilion.  I had scheduled this breakfast at the request of the LaBaeres as this was one of our favorite meals from three years ago and I had also taken Jim, Sheila and Donna to this breakfast last year before our 7-day Western Caribbean cruise on the Disney Magic.  Imagine our shock, surprise and disappointment to find that the breakfast has now changed (see review under Dining).  We still managed to eat our fill from the family-style and buffet items and proceeded to Future World where we spent most of the day.  We did, however, venture to the Mexican pavilion and ride the refurbished Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros before making our way to  our 6:00 pm dinner reservation at Coral Reef (see review under Dining) in the Seas With Nemo and Friends pavilion (f/k/a The Living Seas).  I had not been to this restaurant since approximately 1977 or 1978 and none of the others had ever visited it.  It was a hit with the view of the aquarium; however, I could not believe how loud it was in there.  There were even more children than I imagined there would be with the higher prices of the menu items and there must be no “buffer” for the noise with the tiered seating to give every table a view of the fish.  In addition, they split our party into two tables that were not close enough to “chat,” but I’m not sure we would have tried given the noise.  Even with the noise, dinner was superband we dawdled until almost 7:45 pm, so upon exiting, we went to use our last Fast Passes at Soarin’ and then went right to World Showcase to get a good viewing spot to Illuminations at 9:30 pm.  The LaBaere kids pooped out so they all went right back to their Villa; the four of us managed to make it through Illuminations and then walked back to BCV.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH:  Theme Park and Final Special Event Day — MAGIC KINGDOM.  Back to Magic Kingdom to see anything we missed the first time and to see our favorites once again.  The four of us determined that we had seen everything we wanted to see at Magic Kingdom on Wednesday so we opted out of another day there (plus we were pooped!).  The LaBaeres went back and saw those attractions that are a must to do twice and then boated to the Studios to give Blake a last thrill on the Star Tours attraction.  We all met at 4:45 pm to begin our journey to the Ft. Wilderness Campground for our 7:15 pm Hoop-Dee-Doo reservation (see review under Dining).  We drove and then had to take an internal campground bus down to Pioneer Hall (we ended up being early as the bus came just as we got out of our cars — a miracle!).  We were first in line for our family picture and then waited until we were allowed into the Hall for the show.  Jim, Sheila and Donna had never been to this show, the LaBaeres and I had seen it three years ago — it was still great as usual and we ended up at the same table we had in 2004 and the same waiter!!!!!  He ribbed us good-naturedly and we left thoroughly sated and entertained!  Since the LaBaeres drove with me, I had them drop me off and take the van so they could fill it with the things they wanted me to take home.  As they were dropping me off in the parking lot, the finale of Illuminations lit up the sky, thus ending another great day. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1ST:  LaBaere Departure Day.  The LaBaeres flight got moved up to 5:30 pm (originally scheduled for 7:30 pm — good thing Tony tried to check the baggage and get boarding passes at the airline check-in desk in the lobby) so their limo pick-up got changed from 4:30 pm to 1:45 pm.  We all ate lunch at the ESPN Club (see review under Dining) and then I went with the LaBaeres to see them off.  After that, Jim, Sheila, Donna and I spent the afternoon in the Solarium of the Beach Club Resort (this room gets very little use and is so pleasant and a great place to people-watch) playing dominoes.  We finally adjourned to a bench on the boardwalk while waiting for my friend, Tyra, and her new husband, Michael (they just got married this July), who were coming up from Ft. Lauderdale to meet.  I hadn’t seen her for about three years and had never met her new husband.  We all visited for a little while and then walked out to show them some of the boardwalk.  We then ventured over and had dinner at The Galley at the Yacht Club (see review under Dining).  Tyra and Michael left after dinner to stay the night at a friend’s house in Lakeland and we went upstairs to begin the drudge of packing!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2ND:  Departure Day for Jim, Sheila, Donna and Nanci.  We checked out at the 11:00 am deadline, had a nice departure lunch at Big River Grille (see review under Dining) and ventured back to have our luggage packed into the car and say a teary goodbye to Walt Disney World (thank goodness we have our usual Spring Training (we are big Detroit Tigers fans) trip planned for February 24 - March 12, 2008).  Jim and Sheila are staying for one more week in Orlando at the Grand Beach Sunterra Resort (Jim, Sheila and I own points in Sunterra also) while Donna and I ventured home stopping in Macon, GA on Sunday, staying with Sharon, in Ellijay, GA on Monday, staying in Fishers, IN on Tuesday, dropping Donna off in Fremont, IN on Wednesday morning and continuing on to Rochester Hills, MI to be reunited with my sweet dog, Costa, Wednesday afternoon.

So there is the itinerary for our wonderful trip.  I am already planning our Spring Training trip although that trip revolves mostly around baseball and relaxation.  I hope that starting sometime in 2008 you will allow my new travel business, Trips The Wright Way, LLC, to plan a special trip for you (even if it is not to my very favorite place on Earth!).

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC

On Monday, Nov. 19th, we ventured out of our Disney comfort zone and went over to The Wilderness Lodge for dinner at Artist Point.  Having never been to the Lodge, I was so excited to see the Lodge, especially decorated for Christmas.  Walking into the Lodge was almost overwhelming, with a 40-ft tree and beautiful garland hanging off the balconies overlooking the lobby.

After looking our fill and shopping at the Mercantile, we arrived at the podium for Artist Point about 10 minutes before our 5:40 pm ADR.  I requested a window table and within moments we were heading to a prime corner seat with a beautiful view of part of the Lodge and beautiful greenery.  Our server, Katie, came over right away to take our beverage order.

Having previously checked out the menu online, we placed our order as soon as our beverages were served.  Jim ordered the smoky portobello soup with roasted shitakes and chive oil ($8.00) which was a very good-sized portion and pronounced excellent.  For his entree, Jim chose the pan-seared scallops with fire-roasted corn, fava beans, caramelized onions, bacon and corn nectar ($29.00).  Not only were the scallops done to perfection, but Jim said he had never before been able to cut a scallop into 6 pieces and still have a mouthful of food!

Sheila ordered the mixed green salad with roasted beets, hazelnut gremolata, echo mountain blue cheese and blackberry vinaigrette ($8.00).  When I asked how it was, I got a “Yum,” so I believe it was a hit.  For dinner, she ordered the pan-seared halibut with roasted fingerling potatoes, asparagus and rose buerre blanc ($36.00).  She also chose to substitute he mac & cheese for all of the side dishes.  She felt that the halibut was one of the best she had had and that is truly a compliment to the chef.

Donna also ordered the smoky portobello soup with roasted shitakes and chive oil ($8.00) for her appetizer, but chose the Artist Point signature plate of cedar plank roasted wild king salmon with pear and smoked pork belly hash and pear ginger glaze ($34.00).  Donna elected to keep her side dishes, but ordered the mac & cheese on the side.  That meal also elicited a “Yum, Yum,” obviously a good recommendation!

Last, but not least, I proceded to order the baby iceberg wedge with crisp bacon, radish, hard-cooked egs and creamy cucumber dressing ($8.00) for my appetizer and the pan-seared pork chop on Tillamook Cheddar mac & cheese with maytag crust ($28.00).  Not only was the pork chop excellent, but mac & cheese was AWESOME!  Don’t let the maytag crust scare you off — it consists of blue cheese and really makes the dish.

Having eaten our fill, we were going to skip dessert, but seeing the warm heirloom apple tart with buttermilk ice cream, candied pecans and spice syrup ($9.00) and having seem how large the dinner portions were, we decided to order one and split it four ways.  This was the only disappointing thing about the meal — it was excellent, but the scoop of buttermilk ice cream was about as big as a tablespoon and the tart was a “silver dollar pancake.”  Since we had already been full, we didn’t complain, but I wouldn’t suggest sharing if you are really looking forward to dessert!

 All-in-all, it was a delicious meal in a wonderful setting and I would heartily recommend visiting Artist Point if you have never been there before.

Nanci Wright, Trips The Wright Way, LLC