DAY 6 – Monday 9/05/22
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member

Plan: Gideon’s, Drive to Gainesville

Actual: The new room was perfect – nice and quiet, and I slept very well. I was awake around 5 but didn’t get up until closer to 5:30. I made my last cappuccino of the trip and took it back to bed. Since Chris brought me a cookie from Gideon’s yesterday I’ll hit the road to go home earlier rather than going over to Disney Springs and waiting for stuff to open.

Around 7 I got up to shower & dress. Before doing so I submitted my mobile order for Mara for the 7:45-8:15 time slot. I was ready a bit early so I moved the time up to 7:35. At 7:38 the app still wasn’t giving me the option of telling them to prepare my food. If I remember correctly, last trip I discovered that although Mara opens early (7?) the hot food starts later (8?), which is a pain. Oops – that changed at 7:40 so I told the app I was there and headed downstairs.

The quiche was ready when I got to the elevator! I picked it up without any wait inside Mara and didn’t have to stand in line to pay since I’d used the app. I took it back up to the studio to enjoy, since it’s so humid outside (and eating inside Mara has little to offer. The quiche was delicious! I could only eat half, but this time I decided I had nothing to lose by taking the rest home. If it doesn’t reheat well I can toss it at home.

I finished gathering up my stuff and was out the door shortly after 8 and home at 10. It’s just as hot & awful here, and it lacks the nice big pool and the concierge lounge ☹ I was thinking while driving and I may shift these trips to early September and mid-January instead of early September and late May. That will save a few points but more importantly both of my trips won’t be in this hot humid weather! We’ll see if I’m successful in transitioning to that schedule in 2024.

This has been a really wonderful trip, even with the extreme hot weather. I absolutely love club level here, although it’s very difficult to get. I’ll keep trying each time, hoping for the best. Holli loves it too, and appreciates all the nice touches, so she’s a great travel companion for these trips. I always enjoy spending time with Chris, Amanda & Ari, and I’m glad they enjoy this too. Ari’s grown up coming to the lounge, starting when he was 6 weeks old (his first Disney trip).

My next trip will be with SB starting October 24th. Unfortunately, that trip became a cluster-**** when I didn’t have enough points at 11 months and had to settle for Old Key West since we’d be traveling with another couple in a 2-bedroom villa. Now they’ve backed out so we’re going to a resort I don’t want to be at, using a boatload of points for 2 people to be sharing a 2-bedroom villa. Sigh. Don’t get me wrong – Old Key West is lovely, but not for Food & Wine (or really any trip where the parks are priority – it’s too inconvenient with all those bus stops).

Thanks for reading along!

Sue/WDW1972

Thanks for posting Sue!

Steve S.