Book Conventions

 

Since becoming a writer, Jennifer has been attending a fair amount of book conventions and signings, and enjoying meeting with authors she admires.

This year she has done several signings locally, and last week she attended her first convention as an author, in Denver. Susan went with her to help her sell her books. It was held at the Gaylord Resort near the Denver Airport.

Meanwhile in WDW, work has continued on the new Cake Bake Shop at the Boardwalk. 

Other renovations are also ongoing. On Friday they removed the plaster from one section of the villas.

This weekend she attended a book convention in Washington, D.C. It was held at the Gaylord Resort at National Harbor.

Trains, boats, and monorails

I wanted to visit the Magic Kingdom last month to see the Easter Parade and the decorations at the monorail resorts, but we never made it. While Susan and Jenn attended a book convention this weekend, I decided to head in after work and check out the progress on the conversion of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. 

I went around the park on the train, but it was too crowded and hot to want to do anything else. I took a cruiser over to Fort Wilderness and had dinner at Trail’s End. 

I rode the ferry over and back and visited with the MK Watercraft cast members. While on the ferry, I took photos of the new DVC tower at the Polynesian Resort. 

I also rode the monorail to Epcot to see how the Communicore Hall was progressing. Throughout my time I asked the cast members I encountered for transportation cards, and was able to collect a few.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Monday after Easter we spent some time chilling at Typhoon Lagoon, and shopping at Disney Springs.

 

Last Tuesday we attended our first National League Hockey game. We arrived at Amalie Arena a couple hours before game began and enjoyed drinks and appetizers at the Cigar City brewpub nearby. Then we went in, grabbed some more food and drinks, and watched the warmups and game. The Lightning won, 5-2 over the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a fun night.

Wednesday afternoon we met some friends from Oregon at Universal. It was their first time out to Florida. We walked through the Studio park to Diagon Alley, then took the train to Hogsmede. Then we walked through Islands of Adventure, stopping in Jurassic Park for a late lunch.

On Friday Jenn drove down to Coral Gables to attend an author signing event. On Saturday her Barnes & Noble held another event, at which she and several other writers signed books for readers.

Last night she went back to Tampa with a friend to watch the Lightning play the Buffalo Sabres.

After Hours

Monday some friends from Oregon arrived for a week at Disney World. On Tuesday, we met them for lunch at Animal Kingdom, and for a ride on Flight of Passage. Then we took them shopping at Cast Connection.

Wednesday night we attended an “After Hours” event at Hollywood Studios with them. It was the first time we had been to one. For three hours after the park closed, we enjoyed several rides with limited waits and complementary sodas, ice cream, and popcorn. As a cast member, I was able to buy discounted tickets.

Our tickets let us into the park two hours before it closed, so we were able to catch Fantasmic! 

On Friday, the kids joined them at Epcot and yesterday at Magic Kingdom, where they watched the Easter parade. Today they came over to our house for Easter dinner.

Flower & Garden festival

Last Sunday after work Susan and I went into Epcot to check out the Flower and Garden festival. As usual the festival had some new topiaries and some returning, although some in different places. Susan also checked out some of the merchandise booths.

We also caught a set by Rick Springfield at the Garden Rocks concert series.

Last Tuesday Jenn, Susan, and I spent some time shopping at Disney Springs, and met some friends for dinner at Ragland Road.

This afternoon Jennifer attended a book signing event with several other local independent authors at her Barnes and Nobles. She organized the event, and plans to hold one each month.

London Convention

Last weekend, Jennifer attended a convention in London. She flew out on Wednesday and arrived Thursday morning. After checking into the convention hotel by Heathrow, she and a friend took the tube to Piccadilly Circus, where they checked out a bookstore and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe there. 

They then made their way to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where they watched Frozen.

She and her friends attended the convention Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and on Monday she flew home.

On Thursday she went with some friends to a book signing at a local bookstore. 

Today she, Bryan, and another friend went to Blizzard Beach, one of Disney's water parks.

Megacon

 

At the beginning of the month, the kids went to Megacon, a big convention held every year at the Orlando Convention Center.

The next week Jennifer had a friend visiting from Oregon, so Susan went with them to Epcot to check out the Festival of the Arts. I met them after work to enjoy some attractions and check the progress on the Communicore Hall.

That night, we enjoyed a ride on Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, then headed out. The new Celebration gardens look really nice at night. 

The weekend after Megacon Jenn did a book signing at her Barnes & Noble, and then she and her friend drove up to Atlanta to meet another author. 

Then they attended another book convention. They drove home today, and stopped at a Buc-ee’s.