The last (we hoped) coat of paint had gone on the roof just before noon, and by mid-afternoon we were cleaned up and on our way south for some time off. We were planning to spend some time at Disney, possibly join the Star Wars Resistance force, try our luck at Woody’s arcade and defeat a few villains before returning home refreshed from our time away.
Church Projects
The work on the Wesley roof continued slowly, as we wanted to ensure each layer had several days to dry, given the Florida humidity and the roof’s problematic low spots. Taking advantage of each weather window, we would scramble up the ladder and get another section done. By Monday of the 2nd week of February, we had the chance to actually finish. With Cathy and Pat rolling on the paint, Bobbi brushing the edges and Dave blowing off the roof and supplying paint, we managed to get the final coat on in about 3 hours of work.
The work continued in the new Peeler guest room as the plumbing under the floor was connected, and dry wall put up around the shower and the hot water heater. We were joined briefly by a new drop-in, Jill, who started doing a deep clean on the gym’s concession area. Cathy, sidelined by an infection in her hand, worked on new pages for the church’s website to help promote the gym and bunkhouses for rental purposes and to help develop contracts for the church secretaries to use when approached by potential renters.
The work on the Wesley roof continued slowly, as we wanted to ensure each layer had several days to dry, given the Florida humidity and the roof’s problematic low spots. Taking advantage of each weather window, we would scramble up the ladder and get another section done. By Monday of the 2nd week of February, we had the chance to actually finish. With Cathy and Pat rolling on the paint, Bobbi brushing the edges and Dave blowing off the roof and supplying paint, we managed to get the final coat on in about 3 hours of work.
The work continued in the new Peeler guest room as the plumbing under the floor was connected, and dry wall put up around the shower and the hot water heater. We were joined briefly by a new drop-in, Jill, who started doing a deep clean on the gym’s concession area. Cathy, sidelined by an infection in her hand, worked on new pages for the church’s website to help promote the gym and bunkhouses for rental purposes and to help develop contracts for the church secretaries to use when approached by potential renters.
Joining the Force
It has been several years since we visited the Disney World theme parks, so we decided to buy an annual pass and see what had changed. Our first discovery was the new gondola system that takes you into Hollywood Studios from some of the resorts. Hollywood Studios is the home of the new Star Wars themed Galaxy’s Edge. This has only recently opened, and the main ride “Rise of the Resistance” is still wildly popular. After some discussions with those who had ridden it, we decided we would make the effort to get a ride. This involved some planning.
It has been several years since we visited the Disney World theme parks, so we decided to buy an annual pass and see what had changed. Our first discovery was the new gondola system that takes you into Hollywood Studios from some of the resorts. Hollywood Studios is the home of the new Star Wars themed Galaxy’s Edge. This has only recently opened, and the main ride “Rise of the Resistance” is still wildly popular. After some discussions with those who had ridden it, we decided we would make the effort to get a ride. This involved some planning.
The current process for getting a slot on the ride is different from any other ride in the parks. You use the Disney app to join a “boarding group” . Based on the number of your boarding group, your number is called to ride and you can board anytime within about a 2 hour period. The catch is that you have to be in the park at 8am on the day you want to ride in order to be eligible to select a boarding group. Initially thinking we would catch an early bus to the park, we were cautioned that this was unlikely to work. We would need to drive so that we could get there by 6:30 to ensure we made it through the turnstiles by 8am.
So, we found ourselves standing in line at 6:30 along with a growing crowd of hopeful Resistance recruits. By 7am, there were people in line as far as we could see. The gates opened shortly after, and we made it through them, thus having met one of the boarding criteria. Now, we just had to wait for 8 o’clock.
Striking up a conversation with one of our neighbors as we waited, we learned how critical it was to know exactly when 8am came. He had come the day before, and seconds made the difference between success or failure. We came up with a strategy for determining exactly when 8am arrived. As close as possible, we both opened the app and tried to press the button. Cathy succeeded first and with a few clicks made it into boarding group 56. It was probably 30 seconds past the hour. We were cautioned that if our number had been 63 or higher, we were not guaranteed to ride today. By about 8:01 all the slots were gone.
Striking up a conversation with one of our neighbors as we waited, we learned how critical it was to know exactly when 8am came. He had come the day before, and seconds made the difference between success or failure. We came up with a strategy for determining exactly when 8am arrived. As close as possible, we both opened the app and tried to press the button. Cathy succeeded first and with a few clicks made it into boarding group 56. It was probably 30 seconds past the hour. We were cautioned that if our number had been 63 or higher, we were not guaranteed to ride today. By about 8:01 all the slots were gone.
We eventually learned that our group wouldn’t be called until the afternoon. After spending a little time exploring Hollywood Studios, we decided to take a trip to Epcot via the Friendship boat. We took a break from the heat at the DVC lounge there before heading back to join our fellow recruits.
The ride was fun. We boarded a Resistance transport ship, got taken prisoner and then eventually escaped. It was part immersive experience and part ride. At least now we know what all the excitement is about.
The ride was fun. We boarded a Resistance transport ship, got taken prisoner and then eventually escaped. It was part immersive experience and part ride. At least now we know what all the excitement is about.
Having “done” Hollywood Studios, we spent the next couple of days at Magic Kingdom and Epcot. After several rounds of the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game – opening portals and casting spells against villains, we had walked many miles each day and were happy to get back to the hotel to put our feet up. One night we met Dave’s former co-worker Rob and his wife Julia for dinner.
Heading back on Saturday, we debated how to navigate around Daytona since this was race weekend. There was one more thing we wanted to do on our way back, but would the race traffic get in the way? Google took us around the racetrack and we avoided the crowds to make it to downtown Daytona for – what else? – chocolate. We arrived just in time for the Angell and Phelps tour that ended with free samples. Of course, we couldn’t leave without a bag of goodies. And being the day after Valentine’s, we got some chocolate at half price. That makes it even tastier.
Food, Lots of Food
While we had lots of opportunities to eat well in Kissimmee, we had lots of good meals before we left. Super Bowl Sunday was celebrated with a Souper Bowl fundraiser by the women of the church. Dave had to enjoy takeout, since his 2nd Shingles shot had laid him low that day.
Jim invited us to a potluck at his new house in St. Mary’s the next weekend, which showed off all of his hard work to renovate the first floor. We had a great meal, which included his smoked pork and ribs made in his own smoker. The next day we were guests at the one year memorial dinner for Genoviva Bautista, which was a sumptuous buffet of Filipino dishes and colorful desserts. Good thing we spent the next week walking most of the day.
While we had lots of opportunities to eat well in Kissimmee, we had lots of good meals before we left. Super Bowl Sunday was celebrated with a Souper Bowl fundraiser by the women of the church. Dave had to enjoy takeout, since his 2nd Shingles shot had laid him low that day.
Jim invited us to a potluck at his new house in St. Mary’s the next weekend, which showed off all of his hard work to renovate the first floor. We had a great meal, which included his smoked pork and ribs made in his own smoker. The next day we were guests at the one year memorial dinner for Genoviva Bautista, which was a sumptuous buffet of Filipino dishes and colorful desserts. Good thing we spent the next week walking most of the day.