Visiting Disney Marketplace - Springs - Downtown - Landing?

One of our favorite FREE places to visit is Downtown Disney, err.. Disney Marketplace, um.., Disney Springs.... I have to laugh, this location has had its share of names. I remember it as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. Our first visit together it was Downton Disney. Now it's Disney Springs.

[Wikipedia] The complex opened on March 22, 1975 as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village and has been expanded and renamed at other times over the years. It was first renamed Walt Disney World Village in 1977; then to Disney Village Marketplace in 1989; and afterward to Downtown Disney in 1997. In 2013, plans were announced for a three-year renovation of the complex, and on September 29, 2015, the name officially changed from Downtown Disney to Disney Springs. [ read more history ]

It was a gorgeous day, albeit HOT, so we decided to head there early, on the motorcycle, and get me my reward (self-gifted) for finishing the first draft of my new novella, Paradise Down. We had always parked by the Marketplace (the original section) but this time around, there was a lot of construction going on and some of the parking was closed. We ended up in the parking garage - HUGE but cooler. Not a bad thing, other than remembering to take a photo so we could find the bike.

We had a bit of walking to do before getting to our destination. The Lego section had a few new things outside, the boat dock area had been expanded with a new section with more stores, and a new bridge over to the other side of the lake added.

We wandered one of the main stores, just to get cool, then on to our spot for the next hour. Ghirardelli® Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop. We had been there before, always taking the grandkids on the day we arrived for their vacations. But this time was different. I was on the hunt for the ORIGINAL banana split. Over the years, many variations were made by various outfits, but that wouldn't do. I needed the one, the only, REAL banana boat.

The strongest case for the title of “Home of the Banana Split” belongs to Latrobe, Westmoreland County. Not only has the original letter by Latrobe pharmacy owner and creator David Strickler been uncovered, but the Greensburg Tribune-Review documented the invention as well. In the article, Rachel Smith gives credit for the first banana split to David Stickler who “had sliced a banana in two, added scoops of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream, three kinds of flavored toppings and whipped cream” in 1904. This ingenuity had allowed for the creation of the delicious dessert, but there was no proper way for it to be served. This prompted Strickler to elicit outside help from a glassmaker in Grapeville who created the first “banana boat” to house his masterpiece. [source]

Why? It brought back so many memories for me, memories with my mother. In the mid-late 60's, we often would splurge and have one at the local Woolworth's in Vero Beach, FL. They would have a balloon special and the price inside the balloon was what you would pay. Often you could get one for only 59 cents! We always split it.

It was everything I had hoped for...we both enjoyed it!

We did a little more walking, hoping to find some Mickey Mouse Christmas shirts (we didn't) and then over to Rain Forest Cafe in hopes of me finding a spare "froggy" visor (we didn't).

We did find a friendly little stuffed sloth (Zootopia sloth fanatic here) and a fun hat that I didn't buy. [snicker]

Then it was back to the parking garage and home before the highest heat of the day settled in. All in all, a great day. (See all the photos in our SmugMug Album)

Ciao for now!

Fun Day at Dollywood

We planned to spend most of the last two days at Dollywood but after an hour there yesterday, I got too sick to stay and we came home early. I felt better today so we headed over again. The weather was a bit warmer and for whatever reason, the crowds were smaller. Stu rode three different coaster, two he'd ridden before. His favorite, the old wooden coaster followed by the Mystery Mine. The last ride of the day was the new Wild Eagle, he said it was the most intense of all.

Where the bird show is normally held, they have set up a model railroad display - over 1,000sf. Really nice!

Stu had me take a photo of one of the giant animal pillows to send to our step-daughter who loves ladybugs.

We left just after dark, got a bite to eat at Denny's and then grabbed some groceries at Kroger. All in all, a nice day.

Tomorrow we hope to leave around eight in the morning, making at least 400 miles. The closer we get to the GA/FL border, the better off we'll be on Sunday. The campground space at Alliance Coach is first come/first serve.

Day Two at Universal & Final Thoughts

A good nights sleep does wonders....we all felt much better and were raring to go. Breakfast, shuttle and off the Islands of Adventure at Universal. We immediately headed for the Harry Potter World, knowing how busy it would be.

Unfortunately, you had to be staying at the park or have an Express Pass to go straight there. So we opted to do the Spiderman ride followed by the Pteranodon Flyers® in Juraissac Park since we had to walk through those areas to get the Harry Potter World.

We got to the first Harry Potter ride, Dragon Challenge™, turned out that Amanda was too short. The sign said 15 minutes so we waited....an hour, for Stu and Sam to get done with the ride. About 5 minutes before they finally got on, they added two more coasters. Jeesh!

We headed off towards the other two coasters in Harry Potter world, knowing that Amanda was tall enough for both. Not to be....90 minute wait on the sign. Sigh....

So we continued on and here is our Day Two schedule:

Stu, Donna, Samantha, Amanda
      The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®
      Swing Above the Streets in 3-D
Stu, Donna, Samantha, Amanda
      Pteranodon Flyers®
      Get a prehistoric bird's-eye-view
Stu, Samantha
      Dragon Challenge™
      A high-speed roller coaster chase across the sky
Stu, Donna, Samantha, Amanda (we went twice)
      Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges®
      Better eat yer spinach!
Stu, Donna, Samantha, Amanda
      The Cat in the Hat™
      Whirl Through the Pages of the Book
Stu, Donna, Samantha, Amanda
      The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™
      A High Flying Ride Through Dr. Seuss' Imagination
Stu, Donna, Samantha, Amanda
      The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®
      Swing Above the Streets in 3-D

SKIPPED:
      Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™
      Join Harry Potter™ and his friends on a new adventure

      Flight of the Hippogriff™
      Swoop and soar on this family-friendly coaster

      The Incredible Hulk Coaster®
      Feel the Rage

      Doctor Doom's Fearfall®
      Takes Fear to New Heights

      One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish™
      Steer your fish through an obstacle course of fountains

      Caro-Seuss-el™
      World's Most Unusual Merry-Go-Round

Stu's favorite overall was the Dragon Challenge™ and my overall was Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges®. Men in Black from yesterday was the second favorite for most of us.

Here are some photos from day two, the rest are in our SmugMug Album.

We weren't as tired since we had a better night sleep, but our bodies told us different. LOL! We had dinner at the park, headed back on the shuttle and the girls headed back to Nickelodeon Resorts with their parents. They still had a couple of vacation days left and planned to hit Disney again.

So our final thoughts on Universal....it was okay but it's no Disney. The tickets cost more, there are a lot less rides and way less to do for all ages. We knew several things would be closed for renovations (same as at Disney) but we didn't realize the lack of "free" things to do other than the rides.

Both parks have at least one boardwalk type area where you can pay to play games....more money out of your pocket. Due to height restrictions, Amanda didn't get to ride the coaster she wanted. Add in the terrible lines....not our cup of tea. The characters were much less appealing...the superhero costumes were ridiculous. LOL!

We also noticed that the park wasn't as clean as Disney and that was especially true of the bathrooms. Ugh! While friendly and helpful when asked, the staff often seemed more interested in chatting with each other. Most were teen and twenty somethings, only saw a couple of older folks. The music was often deafening and very repetitive.

The food ranged from very average to surprisingly decent...think it depended on the time of day and restaurant. The chicken fingers were much better than the burgers and the pasta was pretty good, too.

If you have teens, this is a great place to let them go and tell them when/where to meet you. Otherwise, younger ones have little to do other than the Curious George area and Dr. Seuss. Oh, speaking of Dr. Seuss....that area was a feast for the eyes. I could have taken hundreds of photos...really enjoyed it.

We can now say....been there, done that, won't bother again.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna and Stu

11th Annual Anne Arundel County Retired Firefighter Reunion

Whew! What a whirlwind couple of days this has been. We arrived mid-afternoon on Wednesday and leave tomorrow afternoon. We've had hours of laughter, sharing stories, talking about medical issues, mourning those gone, missing those still with us but who couldn't make it and just generally having fun, eating too much food and drinking too much beer.

Golf was scheduled every day, there was a group trip to Mt. Dora for shopping, a side trip to the Orlando Fire Museum and many other personal forays to Sea World, Disney and other local attractions.

We opted to visit Downtown Disney (aka Disney Marketplace) and browse the shops. We found a great coffee mug (wish I had gotten two)...diner style. I also got a frog visor, which I love, and a nice t-shirt with an embroidered frog on the front at the Rainforest Cafe store...both on sale!

We stopped in the Harley shop but the only t-shirt Stu liked (it had a trike on it) was a bit too small for him. LOL!

Today we went back and visited the other half and took in a movie, The Mechanic. The movie was decent and we enjoyed walking around in such great weather. Glad we brought the bikes...although tomorrow is supposed to bring rain. Oh well...

Here are a few photos from Disney...more at our SmugMug album. I haven't taken any reunion photos because our good friend Sharon, always compiles a great CD for those interested of all the pics she has taken.

Tomorrow is the closing meeting followed by lunch, then some will head home and others will continue to play in Orlando before heading out. As always, it's been great!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna and Stu

Alive and kicking....recap time!

The last two weeks have flown...we survived our Disney trip, got done with a few more doctor appointments and are preparing to bring our new puppy, Sadie, home.

So, flash back two weeks....on Sunday the 22nd I flew from Baltimore to Atlanta where I spent the night with my youngest daughter. Had a nice time with her and my three grandkids.

On Monday Stu and his granddaughter, Olivie (Livie) flew from Baltimore to Orlando and I flew from Atlanta to Orlando with my grandson, Joshua (Josh).

We met at the airport and headed out to Disney on their Magical Express bus (no luggage hassles...nice). We arrived in time to grab some lunch and then head out to Disney Marketplace. The kids really enjoyed LegoLand and got their first Disney items - sunglasses and hats.

The rest of the week took us through Magic Kingdom (twice), Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The weather was hot and humid until lunch Friday when the rain set in (and the kids took 3 hour naps to make up for the previous busy days). We stayed at the All-Star Movies Resort (a Value Resort) and it was great. The kids had fun on the playground and really loved the "Iceberg" kiddie pool.

The kids both had a great time and we had very few meltdowns....way less than we saw in other families. They were best buddies most of the time and played really well together.

We settled on one stuffed animal souvenir as well as lanyards for pin trading. They both enjoyed finding cast members and trading pins with them. They both ended up with a nice little collection and each managed to trade for one firefighter-related pin!

We all flew out on Saturday with Stu and Livie returning to Baltimore while Josh and I returned to Atlanta. I stayed a couple of extra days so I could visit more with my daughter and her family.

My daughter is currently working for a casting company doing extras (walk-on) casting for movies and television. On Monday I went on the set with her, they were filming a mini-series for Lifetime, Marry Me. They were short extras that day so wardrobe "dressed" me and I got to spend the day walking in the background. It was interesting and I had a good time. Got to see Lucy Liu, the lead in the show.

Tuesday found me flying back to Baltimore...it definitely felt good to get home! Stu had his appointment with the orthopedic surgeon to go over the MRI on his knee. He has torn the meniscus so first line of treatment was a shot of cortisone and a knee brace to wear. He goes back on the 11th to see if he needs to get it scoped.

The rest of this week has been filled with eye doctor, hearing and dental appointments. All went well, the only surprise was my being referred to a retinal specialist to see about any treatment for my floaters (which have gotten much worse in the last year). That appointment is on the 12th.

Tomorrow we head out for the annual Red Helmet ride. This will be Stu's 4th year and my 3rd. (2008 - 2009) This year we will be riding with Stu's youngest daughter, Melissa. This will be the longest ride she's ever done. Since they have moved the times to later in the afternoon, we will be staying over and coming back on Sunday. We have plans for Sunday lunch with one of my grandsons that I haven't seen since he was maybe 8 years old. Looking forward to the weekend!!

Monday we will pick up our new family member, Sadie. Today we got toys, food, carrier, ID tag, etc for her. We are both very excited! We've had a couple of visits to check on her and her siblings. They are growing fast.

On the 15th we'll be attending a fund raiser for a firefighter friend who has been battling a very severe virus. He's been in the hospital for weeks, fighting for his life.

Needless to say, we aren't heading to TN just yet...not sure when we will head out. It depends on the results of both our doctor appointments. We'll get there eventually...just has to be before the snow starts! LOL!!

For those who are gluttons for punishment (or relatives....) all the Disney photos are HERE.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna and Stu

Visiting Disney Marketplace

I love Disney...well at least I did the last time I visited, over 25 years ago. LOL! They had just built Space Mountain and Epcot was still on the drawing board. Needless to say, it's grown way out of control since then...LOL!

While in Florida for the week taking care of Stu's mom's affairs, we ended up with a free day AND good weather. Stu suggested we ride over to Disney Marketplace...nice little ride, a re-intro to "Buy Disney", grab some lunch and ride back.

We grabbed some lunch at The Earl of Sandwich...great sandwich, could have easily split it but we had no idea how large they were. We then wandered some more and I found my favorite spot...the LEGO section. Wow! Can you say WOW!!! I was impressed....

Next stop was the dinosaur area and I SO wanted to Build-a-Dino...LOL! I can definitely see this being a huge hit with all ages. From there we headed back to where we started, taking a second tour through the LEGO store. We opted to stop at Giardelli's for some awesome ice cream!! According to the mural on the wall, I've mispronounced their name for years. Oh well...it's easier to remember MY way. Hee-hee....



The ride to Disney was a constant barrage of traffic and lights. The route home was quite, peaceful and rural...next time we'll take that route BOTH ways.

All the photos are at SmugMug...oh, and yes, once more I FORGOT THE CAMERA so all the pics are from our iPhones. Ooops... Enjoy!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna & Stu