SouthernBelle & Grumpy 1st Annual Food & Wine Festival Birthday Bash - UPDATED 11/14 - COMPLETED!! About This Page:

[SouthernBelle]

Lake City, FL – to WDW, SoG

We woke-up at 5:45, breakfast at the hotel started at 6am and we wanted to get on the road. I woke up with a little scratchy throat, so lots of hot tea for me this morning. We stopped for gas at the BP right next to the hotel $2.99 a gallon we were on the road at 6:54.
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Our Great White Steed

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This sign was next to the BP gas station, I wonder about those Tickets

I put in my Disney Classic CD and we were cruising down I-75 towards Gainesville, watching the sunrise. We reached the Okahumpka Service Plaza at 8:30, Grumpy had a craving for a donut from Dunkin Donuts, so after coffee and a donut for Grumpy and hot tea for me and my scratchy throat, we were back on our way. We arrived at the exit for the Western Way and just 23 miles after that we had reached the Disney World/Hertzog Road exit, Exit 8. In the middle of the Western Way, there is a high spot from where you can see the Contemporary and Space Mountain, but this time it was so clear we could see Spaceship Earth; Swan & Dolphin; and the top spires of Cinderella’s Castle, Everest, Tower of Terror.
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When you come in the Western Way you arrive at the entrance to Coronado Springs. WAHOO we are on property. We arrive at Shades of Green at 9:45 WAHOO
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We checked our bags with the Bellman, went in and did a pre-check –in, parked our car and headed to the ticket desk to get our Annual Passes.

We were on the bus to MGM-Disney Studios at 10:30 WAHOOO, headed straight to Guest Services, to get our AP’s validated and pick up our Birthday Buttons, Annie, the CM that helped us was wonderful, she told us she works at Disney to support her Golf Habit

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[SouthernBelle]

With AP’s validated and Birthday Buttons on, we were off to ToT to get fast passes. We were walking past the Beauty and the Beast theater, when a CM said Happy Birthday to us, she called us over, Teresa was her name and she asked me would I like to have a special seat to view Beauty and the Beast for my Birthday, I said sure why not, I had never seen the BaTB show, so she gave me slip of paper, told me to write my name on it, where I was from and what I was celebrating and to be back at 11:30. So we got our fastpasses for ToT which were for 12 – 1 pm, so we wandered around Sunset Blvd, in and out of shops, went in the villains shop/candy shop and we were greeted with Happy Birthday again, the CM, gave Grumpy two marshmallow lollipops covered in sprinkles, hit the rest room and headed back to Beauty and the Beast theater.

I went and found Terese and she gave me my special seat 3rd row center on the left. We were sitting there and the theater was filled, this guy walks out onto the stage and starts setting up microphones, then he does a test of all the microphones, then another guy walks out and they both start playing around with the microphones and singing, then a 3rd guy walks out and they all are playing around and singing, then here comes another guy and tells them all to stop what they are doing and to get back to work , because BatB show is about to start and they have work to do. Then he says what the heck and he starts singing, we thought they were just regular Disney Stagehands, no they were 4foraDollar, a capella singers, they were just amazing. So after they had finished, they asked where is Melissa, from Ocean Springs, I raised my hand and they asked me to come down front, they asked me what was my favorite Disney Song, I told them I have to many, so they picked their favorite and serenaded me with “When you Wish Upon A Star” and then they gave me one of their CD’s. I am all verclempt talk amongst yourselves, even now, I am never had anything like that happen to me before. It was a wonderful, and the BatB show was just gorgeous.

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Boy, if you don’t know the power of a Birthday Button at WDW, you will after the end of this trip report.

Well our FP’s were ripe, but I was starving and my throat was scratchy, so we gave away our FP’s to someone else and headed to SciFi Dine in for lunch and we were seated right away. This was another first for Grumpy and I, we loved it, the food was delish. We were in the back seat of the car, we loved the campy videos on the movie screen. I had the Smoked Turkey Sandwich - Smoked turkey, swiss cheese, arugula, plum tomatoes with mustard-mayonnaise on multigrain bread, served with cucumber melon salad, with an Iced Tea. Grumpy had the Grilled Italian Sandwich and fries and a Cherry Coke.

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Grumpy and I in the back seat of our car , how romantic
We went to One Man’s Dream and Disney Animation next, we saw that Frozone was out for pictures and autographs. We skipped the drawing class, because it was time to go back to SoG and check-in.

Back to SoG, we checked in and were given room 5136, with a gorgeous view of the golf course. The bellman promptly brought up our bags, we unpacked and put a few things away and headed back out the door, to Downtown Disney.

First stop Wolfgang Pucks Express for dinner, Grumpy and I split the Italian Sausage Pizza and Ceaeser Salad, I had Mango Iced Tea an d Grumpy had lemonade. This pizza was delicious. The same pizza that is served on the west side but for half the price, our total for the pizza, salad and drinks was $18.96

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our pizza

After dinner, we did some Christmas Shopping, stopped at the Christmas Shop, Scrapbook Store, Mickey’s Mart, the Pantry, Disney Store and then to Ghiardelli’s the main reason we went, so Grumpy could have his nightly Ice Cream. I waited outside at the tables, and he went in, I told him to surprise me, I knew he would get plain chocolate. When he came out he had a Banana Split for the two of us to share, okay I hear all the “ahhs” out there, I can not remember the last time we split a banana split, so this was a real treat and a surprise, yes after 18 years of marriage he still manages to surprise me every now and then. I was surprised that he did not get his beloved chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone.

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Well we had broke the bank, so we headed back to SoG for our first night.

Today’s Weather: Warm Sunny and Wonderful
The best thing today was: Being Serenaded to by 4forADollar
The worst thing today was: My scratchy throat
The funniest thing today was: The videos on the screen at SciFi Dine In
Today we tried: SciFi Dine In


Up Next – EMH Morning at the Magic Kingdom

[SouthernBelle]

Here are pictures of our room at Shades of Green

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The view from our 5th floor balcony, the ever peaceful golf course, we could watch Illuminations fireworks from here.

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Too bad we are not staying another week, The Golf Course will be hosting a PGA Tour and we would have a good view of the golfers from up here in the cheap seats.

[Lemap760]

Great start to your trip. Hope your scratchy throat gets better.

That's kind of creepy to find a sleeping man in your room.

[Colexis Mom]

What a great first day Melissa How great you got called up for 4 for a Dollar Hurry back with more

[MickeyMAC]

What a great first day you had. Your trip report is great.

[Jookiba]

Sounds like a great start to a great trip!! Sorry you've got a scratchy throat tho-hope it didn't give you too many problems during your trip.

Thanks for sharing the pictures of road signs as you got close-if I do end up driving in January, I can't wait to snap shots of signs just like you did.

Hope you hurry back with more!

[Brettchief]

Wow! What a wonderful day! Power of the bday button no doubt! What a treat to have them sing to you! Can't wait to hear more!

[EeyoreNeedsLoveToo]

What a great first day - and the view from your room is GREAT!
yummy banana split too! your sandwich at Sci-Fi sounds tasty too!
More please!

[DyanKJ130]

Nice start! Can't wait to hear more

[tammyd_rn]

Great first day. Love that you got serenaded, too cool.

[stefffe]

just got caught up sounds like a great first day

[WeatherTed]

Great TR Melissa!

[NanaTink]

sounds like the trip is off to a great start!
More please!

[debsta922]

What a great first day!