No real surprise, I woke up relatively early despite not having a park day planned. I double checked to make sure that it really only would cost me about $20 to upgrade my 2 day hopper to include water parks. It would, but the app wasn’t cooperating, so I decided to go to the food court for a mug refill, and then see what happened.
Seeing what happened turned into me realizing I was not in the mood for a water park today, despite the fact that it was already VERY warm and sunny. So...I started thinking about how to shift my plans.
Somewhere between 9:30 and 10, I made my way to the bus stop, which was a very chaotic place. A Magic Kingdom bus came along eventually, and it was an uneventful ride there, but that was not my final destination.
Security was a breeze, and pretty soon I was first in line for the boat to the Wilderness Lodge that had just arrived. But...then the boat crew got out the tape measures? Shouldn’t the measurements for those boats already exist somewhere?
Within a few minutes, the CM on the dock was loading me and a few others onto a different boat that had just docked and we were on our way to the Wilderness Lodge. It was a beautiful day, and I was VERY glad to not be on that jam packed ferry!
All too soon (only because it was a perfect day to be on a moving boat), we were docked at the Wilderness Lodge. I went in an enjoyed the main lobby for a little bit. Then it was time for lunch!
Lunch was at Geyser Point Bar and Grill. There was just something appealing about open air, lakeside dining. And the menu seemed to have a nice variety, and reasonable prices.
Once I found Geyser Point, I was seated immediately, with a great lake view. My server, Ian, appeared within minutes, with a cup of ice water. The atmosphere was great and super relaxing, the view was great, my huckleberry punch cocktail was good, my bison cheeseburger with waffle fries was amazing, and the service was great too. Ian kept my cup of ice water full, and offered me a tall go cup of ice water when he brought the bill. He also made it clear when he brought the bill that even though I had paid, I was free to stay and enjoy the place as long as I wanted. I will absolutely go back to Geyser Point. It’s a gem!
When I left Geyser Point, I went inside the lobby of the original villas and hung out there for a bit. The air conditioning felt great, and it’s such a quiet, relaxing spot.
Eventually, it was time to be moving along. So I headed for the boat dock where I got a private boat ride over to the Contemporary. In the time it took for me to get from the boat to the monorail platform (which, admittedly, was awhile, because holy construction walls), it started downpouring, so I was happy with my timing.
This monorail trip was plagued with long stops, and, at the TTC we were told that our train was “undergoing some maintenance” but we would be underway soon. I almost ditched the monorail right then, but it was pouring, and the TTC isn’t really where I want to be stranded in a downpour. Thankfully the monorail really did get moving soon, and I aborted my mission at the Polynesian, to give myself some time to recalculate my strategy in more effective air conditioning.
I spent some time chilling in the lobby, and then it stopped raining, and the monorails seemed to be moving in a more timely fashion, so I tried again. This worked, and soon enough I was back at the Magic Kingdom, where I ended up with a private bus ride back to Music.
Once back at Music, I went looking for the Moana cupcake that’s been in Disney blogs lately, but seems to have already been eliminated. So I got myself the Orange Dream cupcake, filled my mug, and headed back to the room.
I was a bit surprised (and annoyed in light of recent experiences with housekeeping and “room occupied signs) to see that it was 2:30 and housekeeping still hadn’t been to my room. I put the room occupied sign up and thoroughly enjoyed my cupcake.
Then I decided to take a nap, fully expecting it to be interrupted by housekeeping. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to my alarm, and not to housekeeping. Woohoo!
About 5 or so, I headed for the bus stop. Eventually a Disney Springs bus came along. When the bus arrived at Disney Springs, it became evident that there would be a storm sooner rather than later, and I had a 6:30 reservation for dinner at The Boathouse, so I decided to check out some stores close to there. This plan worked well. I didn’t buy anything, but I did stay mostly dry. It DID rain.
About 6:20, I went and checked in at The Boathouse. After a plethora of questions (“inside or outside”, “bar or table”), and a slightly annoyed look from the hostess when I said I’d like a table inside (“but our patio is covered you know”), I was seated quickly, in the farthest back room from the entrance. Standard Disney solo dining seating experience...they don’t want us seen or heard.
After that, however, The Boathouse was an absolute win. My server was friendly, efficient, and appropriately attentive. The food was amazing. And my coconut mojito was the best mojito I’ve ever had. Why did I eat at The Boathouse, a dining plan “signature” on a budget trip? Well, because there are actually several meals on their menu that are reasonably priced, and that were appealing. That night, I went with the filet sliders, which just might be the best dining bargain in all of Disney. $14 for 2 filet sliders (fantastic steaks) and fries. From the honey bread, to my entree, to my beverage, to the service (after I got to my table), I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I will definitely eat here again.
As much as I wanted to try one of the desserts at The Boathouse, I knew it’d be way too much food. So, after dinner, I went over to Sprinkles for the other limited/seasonal cupcake that I wanted to try this week. I got the sangria cupcake to go, and headed back to the hotel.
Once back at the hotel, I called it a relatively early night, once I had enjoyed that cupcake. The lesson this week seems to be that the seasonal/limited cupcakes are the way to go at Sprinkles! It had been a surprisingly relaxed, enjoyable day at Disney, filled with food from places I hadn’t tried before. And I was ready for another park day in the morning!
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