When we left off at the end of my last entry, I had parted ways with the group. I was headed to the parking lot to drive back over to Saratoga Springs to get checked into our Treehouse villa. Grandma & Grandpa took the other car from Wilderness Lodge over to Fort Wilderness, where the kids were going to go on pony rides.
The wind was whipping pretty good out on the water as Bambi and Kaylene took the kids over on the boat.
Meanwhile, I arrived back at the Carriage House at Saratoga Springs and stood in line to get checked in. I had done online check-in a few days prior, so I was thinking that this should be a fairly quick task.
They had about 4 or 5 stations (out of probably 15) dedicated to on-line check in guests, so it was only a few minutes before I was speaking to a cast member about getting checked in. This is where things started going bad.
Disney was (and, I believe, still
is) in the process of switching their reservation computers over to a new system. I don't know if that was the root of my problems, but it certainly didn't help matters. I could see part of the CM's computer screen, and she was flipping back and forth between two different areas of the reservation system. I don't recall exactly what the problem was, but she said she was going to have to have someone cancel and rebook my reservation, and it would take about 5 or 10 minutes. Not having any alternatives, I agreed.
[I'll skip the 10 minutes of idle chit chat and awkward silence and get right to when the reservation was rebooked]
She told me we would be in 7047, but again, her computer was giving her conflicting information. One spot said the room was empty and ready to be released, while another still showed that housekeeping had not released it yet. She called over a manager, who said he would send someone over right away to verify that it was ready for us.
He didn't want me to get all the way over there, just to find a problem with the room and have to come back. Keep that little nugget of information in the front of your mind. It may be useful.
Finally, after - and I kid you not, because I checked the time stamps of text messages that I sent to Bambi updating her on the progress -
30 minutes, the manager finally got clearance that the room was ready.
I took my welcome packet and keys and headed over to the Treehouses...
Meanwhile, the kids were having a great time at the pony rides.
Tonka, Nemo and Snickers were on duty today.
The pony rides have become a tradition for us. The kids love them, and it's a (relatively) inexpensive way to spend our first Disney Day. I'm sure if Bambi has anything interesting to add about this, she will. I wouldn't know, I was still over at Saratoga Springs...
The Treehouse Villas are part of Saratoga Springs as far as check-in and amenities are concerned. But physically, they have their own entrance and parking. I drove over (about a 3 or 4 minute drive one you navigate all of the parking lots and gate houses), and was soon attempting to get the automated gate to work with my KTTW card. I tried all 8 of our keys, and each one would make the little light turn red and not raise the gate. Finally, I pushed the "help" button. Instead of someone coming on the speaker and asking what was wrong, the gate just opened. After all that messing around, Bambi called to let me know they were done, so I never did even find our Treehouse. I ran back over to Fort Wilderness and picked up Bambi and Kaylene. Grandma & Grandpa were going to take the kids for a little drive to see if they would fall asleep. They, along with me, were getting a little crabby by this time.
We drove back over to the Carriage House (you remember, where that nice man
didn't want me to get all the way over there, just to find a problem with the room and have to come back) , where I was lucky enough to find a manager standing right in the middle of the lobby and I let her know exactly what happened and how it made me feel (hint:
). She apologized and disappeared into the back for about 10 minutes. She came back out, apologized again and gave me new KTTW cards. We don't use our cards for charging, but she added a $100 credit to my account and gave my card charging privileges. You know, it's really hard to stay mad when someone essentially slips one of these in your hand:
Well, more like two of these, but you get the idea.
By this time, everyone else had made it back to Saragota, and we all headed over to the Treehouse. Miracle of Miracles, the gate worked! We found our villa - and the door didn't unlock. Look who's back ->
I did get one of the keys to open the door, but none of them did it consistently. So while everyone else unloaded, it was back to the check in desk for me. Remember that place? Where that nice man
didn't want me to get all the way over there, just to find a problem with the room and have to come back.
This time, another manager apologized and promised to make it right. It took about 10 or 15 minutes, but he completely canceled and rebooked my reservation and made new keys. He made sure the $100 credit was still on my account. I was hoping he would do a little more, but by this time I really didn't care to hang around anymore and I just left. I got back and tested all 8 keys in the security gate and the door, each one finally working as they should.
Up next:
I cool off (literally and figuratively) with a dip in the pool, and Evan treats us all to dinner.
I like harrassing Barry. I do it all the time.
You didn't know other '70's tv shows we talked about before on another thread (perhaps one of your other TR's?) - so I'm kinda surprised you know this one.
), but we're home safe and sound.
