You can find me in da Beach Club -- COMPLETE!! Final Thoughts UPDATE 7/1 About This Page:

[mattnkatsmum]

WOO HOO!!! Less than three weeks now until our first DVC trip, and to say that I’m excited would be the understatement of the year. Actually, thinking about it, there hasn’t been much of the year yet, but regardless, I CAN’T WAIT. So without further ado, let the report commence.

Who?

Well me, obviously. I’m Karen (36). This is my sixth trip to WDW; the third in the last year

Here I am with my newly whitened teeth



Then we have Steve (37). Steve pretends that he doesn’t like Disney very much and ‘tolerates’ it ‘for the sake of the kids’. Don’t believe a word of it. He loves Disney just as much as I do. Here is Steve getting up close and personal with Tigger.



And finally, Kat (3).



Katherine adores WDW. Her first words to me each morning are ‘Mummy, is today the day?' Kat has a Piglet passion; is ambivalent towards Minnie; and is unimpressed by the princesses. I recall a rhyme from when I was little:

There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good
She was very very good
And when she was bad
She was horrid.

That rhyme could have been written for Kat. I’m hopin’ and a prayin’ that we’ll bypass Meltdownsville on this trip.

Matt is staying home, as I can’t take him out of school, but don’t feel too sorry for him. He’s off to the Bay of Naples in March on a school Latin trip.

Where?

The Beach Club Villas, of course. When we were younger and poorer, I used to dream of staying at the Beach Club. As soon as we bought into DVC last year, I was desperate for my first trip to be at the Beach Club. I had no problems booking my room at five months out.

Only problem is that something unexpected happened on our August trip. I fell in love with the Wilderness Lodge. I did consider booking for the VWL, but decided to stick with BCV. We’ll see whether BCV can capture our hearts and become our NFV (new favourite resort).

Why?

Hee hee. BECAUSE WE CAN!!! Well, we have to spend those lovely DVC points somehow. As this is el cheapo season, the trip has cost just 105 points (this will mean something to the DVC savvy ) so we still have 45 points to do something beautiful with later in the year.

I also managed to secure very reasonable flight prices with Virgin Atlantic, so we’re not slumming it on a charter this time. Happy Days.

When?

From the 26th January until the 2nd February. Seven glorious days in my happy place.

Why the silly title?

Inspired by all the fabulous room assignor poems I’d read, I thought I’d have a go at writing my own. One problem. I’m useless at poetry. So I decided to write a rap instead. I did a bit of research and fathomed that what I really, really want (perfect world and all that) is a non-smoking room with a nice view of the Epcot fireworks. So I came up with a few ‘rap inspired’ rhyming couplets: ‘I don’t wanna choke on no smoke’ and ‘I wanna see the sparks in da parks’; this kind of thing. Then Matt was playing that 50 Cent tune (if you can call it a tune) – In Da Club and I thought fabbo – ‘In Da Beach Club’. So I looked up the lyrics for inspiration and they were DISGUSTING. And trust me, I’m open-minded. Anyhow, Matt wound up with half of his CD collection confiscated and a good old slapping and I abandoned the idea.

In my head, however, I just couldn’t stop singing ‘you can find me in da Beach Club, bottle full of Bud’. And I decided that I’d honour my trip report with the first line of the Room Assignor Rap that never was.

As a postscript, I phoned Member Services last week and was told that since the construction of the Soarin’ Pavilion, there are now no rooms with Epcot fireworks views at the Beach Club Villas. Now I’ve checked this out on Google Earth and I cannot see that the Land Pavilion, even extended, ought to encroach on a view of the fireworks from the BCV, but that is what the man says, so I have to accept that.

I’ll be back in the next few days with our plans for the trip.

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Karen Love the raps More please!!

[Jillybean]

I've been waiting for this! I am SO excited for you - - and I love the rap poem!

We stayed at BCV last January and I don't recall us being in the room during the fireworks so I can't attest to the fireworks issue . . . but I would think that you could see at least part of them!

Jill

[DrDolphin]

Great start!!!!

[WDWJAMBA]

Whoo Hoo! Can't wait to hear more! Hope you have the best of trips. We're staying at BCV as well in June, so I'm all ears as to your experience!

[chezp]

Great start - and great title! Too funny about Matt's CD collection I bet he now regrets starting that conversation...

I hope you have a magical stay at "Da Beach Club" and that it captures your heart as much as it has captured ours.

[disneydani]

Oh, I was just thinking, I could use a good giggle right about now and lo and behold, I happen upon your TR! You are off to a great start!

[JaimeandChad]

Yeah I can't wait to read your trip report as I just finished rereading your trip to DLP.

[mattnkatsmum]

Sorry it’s taken me so long to update with my plans – I’ve been preoccupied with, amongst other things [clear throat] whether to buy more DVC points.

I have to say at this point, how I truly envy those who post about how excited they are in the last few days before their trip. Truthfully, I find it really stressful. For starters, trying to organise my work schedule is a nightmare. ‘Sorry you can’t move to your dream house, get divorced, or be represented in your criminal charges because Mrs. Baker is on holiday’ does not go down well. So I have to work out what I can delegate to my trainee and secretary, what I can put off until I get back, what I can offload onto my (already overworked) partner. The rest of the stuff I have to try and get sorted this week, which means 12 hour days at least .

Secondly, out of the workplace, I am seriously disorganised. I have to make sure my tax is paid this week (it’s that time of the year in Britain), tidy up my incredibly messy house and start thinking about packing. Which will be done the night before. Or even the morning we fly. Like it always is. So something crucial will be overlooked. We’ll forget to organise insurance, or renew the passports, or change the currency. There’ll be something.

And just to add something miserable into the mix, my lovely secretary, who had been with me since I was a trainee, died last week aged just 57. She’d had bowel cancer and took ill six months ago. Her funeral is tomorrow. Christine and I were incredibly close, and I haven’t taken her death well. I’ve spent a lot of the last week helping her husband with the arrangements. As you may know from my other post, I decided to go ahead with the purchase of the extra DVC points. Watching Christine deteriorate over the last few months was the main reason why I went for it. Life is too precious and too short.

Anyway, enough misery and moaning; these are my new, revised and unabridged plans.

Friday – no plans. I’m hoping we’ll grab a counter service in the World Showcase. Maybe we’ll try the Harry Ramsden’s, see how it compares to the real Harry Ramsden’s, which is just down the road from me.

Saturday Dinner at Spoodles. Never been before.

Sunday JoAnne (Coastgirl) has very kindly invited us to share her Wishes Cruise JoAnne. We need to be at the Contemporary at 7.00pm. so I’ve made a 5pm ressie at ‘Ohana. We loved the food here last year so hopefully this will make for a good evening

Monday Dinner at 50s Prime Time. I’m looking forward to this, but I’m not sure how Steve will cope with the ‘green beans in your ice cream’ stuff. I’m hoping that they realise that we’re reserved Brits and leave us be. I’ve changed this ressie from Mama Melrose as Kat has decided that she wants to see Fantasmic again. Bear in mind, she was frightened beyond her wits last time. I’ve even shown her videos to remind her what it’s all about. Seems she wants to blast the baddies with her light sabre. So my new ADR is at 4.20, which should give us loads of time.

Tuesday Le Cellier. My favourite. I hope it lives up to expectations.

Wednesday Coral Reef. Another new experience.

Thursday We were initially booked into Cali Grill, but fearing an Artist Point meltdown reprise, I’ve changed my mind and we’re now eating at the Liberty Tree Tavern at 6.20. And then it’s on to the Pirates and Princess Party. So I’ll let you have all the details when I get back.

I’ve made no plans for Friday. We’ll just play it by ear.

So pretty much all I’ve planned are the meals. The rest of it, I’m pretty much going to go with the flow.

What do you think?

[Caldercup]

Great start - and great title! Too funny about Matt's CD collection I bet he now regrets starting that conversation...

Just what I was thinking!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Looking forward to more, Karen!
Eileen

[zacksmom_1993]

We should get Matt and Zack together! He swears that he only purchases the "cleaned up" versions of Sum 41, Linkin Park, etc songs on iTunes. But, when I see that he's downloaded pics from the "Teenage Hotties" website (not R rated, but STILL!) I tend to doubt it. Can't wait to hear about the trip, Karen. And, according to every living member of my family, that poem was written about me as a child when I had hair just like Kat's, and I turned out OK (at least I think so! )

[WDWfan]

Yay Another Karen TR! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] I can't wait to hear more about your plans!

[lablady]

I almost choked on my cracker when I read that you confiscated Matt's CDs! Would have LOVED to read your whole rap ......

[PrincessSharon]

You've started! I love your room assignor rap and must admit I got a good chuckle over your reaction to In Da Club. Can't wait for more!

[wdwlovers]

Great start! So, whatcha got planned for this trip?