It was a beautiful start to the day as we all sat outside before, during and after breakfast. Neil was much happier. I am not sure when he became such a sun worshipper, but clearly the sunshine had worked its magic.
Today’s cunning plan involved a booking I had made for lunch at the Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Why, you may ask, was that cunning? Well, since Disney stopped anyone without a reservation from parking at their hotels or using their free transport from Disney Springs, planning a visit to the BoardWalk or a ride on the Skyliner has proved very difficult. So I had made a reservation at what we thought was the cheapest possible café at the BoardWalk, primarily to secure a car parking spot. Or so we hoped.
We were ready to leave at 11.30 am for our 12.20 pm booking and drove the short distance to the Beach Club Resort.
At this point, I want to comment again on one of the great contradictions of a typical American driver. When they get to a four-way stop sign, they are all very fair and polite, ensuring that everyone takes their turn to cross in the correct order. On a two-lane or greater highways, however, all bets are off. They drive at speed, almost bumper to bumper, trying to push you into going faster. If you don’t, they will undertake or overtake into gaps where gaps don’t really exist, all in an attempt to perhaps reach their destination a whole two seconds earlier.
I put it down to too many drivers thinking they are playing a video game. What they seem to forget is that if they crash, you cannot just press reset and start again.
Nervously, we approached the security guard at the car park entrance. He quickly confirmed our reservation and waved us through. And we were in, with no restrictions on how long we could stay.
After a short wander around, we found our way to Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. It was very busy and full of noisy customers. We had decided to have proper food rather than just ice cream, although we agreed we would have to come back another time to sample that particular attraction.
We all had a hot sandwich. Karen told me to think of the cost as the price of being able to park. That didn’t really help as I hate paying for parking. The food was fine and filling, but expensive for what it was.
After this, we set off for a lovely walk around the BoardWalk. The temperature was rising, and Karen was soon complaining about the heat. We made a few stops along the way and eventually arrived at the Skyliner station.
The ride came with the added bonus of a lovely free breeze as we travelled over to the Caribbean Beach Resort, passing the back of Epcot. Our aim was to walk back to the Riviera Resort, and indeed we did, but only to the soundtrack of much moaning from Karen about the heat, the distance and the lack of anything to drink. Despite this, Neil and I both enjoyed the walk, looking at the places where the rich people can afford to stay.
Finally arriving at the Riviera, we headed up to the first floor and the coffee café. I was despatched to get the drinks while Karen secured us some prime seats on the balcony.
It was rather lovely sitting there. Karen eventually fetched herself another drink, while I mused about being an architect and designing the building we were sitting in. I concluded that, despite always rather thinking I would have liked to train in such a profession, it wouldn’t actually suit me. The creativity and attention to detail are not qualities I possess in abundance.
So that is another job I can cross off my list for when I finally decide what I am actually suited to doing when I grow up. The list is getting shorter, although I am not sure I have made much progress towards finding a suitable alternative.
After this, we went outside again, where Neil and I had a quick game of bocce. Depending on how the game was scored, I either won or we drew. It was fascinating how far the balls rolled across the ‘carpet’ with very little effort. Clearly, there is a technique to it, although I am not sure either of us had mastered it.
We all agreed to head back and caught the Skyliner to Epcot, where we completed the walk around the BoardWalk and back to the car.
Back at the villa, we all agreed that, having had a more substantial lunch than normal, none of us fancied going out for dinner. Instead, after a while, I boiled some eggs, which we ate at the villa. Not quite Disney dining, but considerably cheaper!
Around 7 pm, we drove to Sunset Walk, which was only a couple of miles away. Whilst nicely built, clean and quiet, it still lacks something. We decided that what it really needed was more shops. It was mainly restaurants and bars and, as such, didn’t offer much for people to wander around and browse. A pleasant enough place, but not somewhere we felt the need to spend too much time.
Neil eventually got himself an ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery, after becoming increasingly annoyed by a large American family in the queue ahead of him. I didn’t establish exactly what they had done, but they clearly they were not much fun to be behind.
Karen was then keen to visit a Marshalls store on the other side of the 192. With the traffic, that was easier said than done, but we got there in the end. The only purchase made was a pair of yellow tweezers to add to the 30 other pairs she already has. I am beginning to think that she is quietly building up a stock for a future retail emergency.
Then we headed back, where, over a well-earned glass of wine, we watched the news and I read some more before retiring for the night.
Another enjoyable day, with plenty of walking, a Skyliner ride, some lovely Disney surroundings and, most importantly, a successful parking strategy. Whether the sandwiches were worth the price alone is another matter!
