It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
Never have I taken a Disney trip with such a wide range of emotions. Some family health issues back home (not necessary to recount in detail here, but serious enough to keep our minds occupied throughout our recent vacation) were only the start. Having just returned last night, I wanted to recount some of the high points in the hopes that others might learn from our experiences.
DAY 1:
We arrived on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Old Key West. Its been our home base for the last five years, and never have we been treated as poorly as we did upon our arrival this time. OKW has a reputation for outstanding service, but we arrived in our room to the mustiest, most humid smell we could imagine. When our kids took off their shoes, we knew why: The carpet was soaking. Someone must have cleaned the carpets recently and used way too much water. In general, a wet carpet is rather uncomfortable but usually not cause for a major crisis; however, because our 3-year-old daughter has asthma, we feared the musty air in the room would aggravate her condition. Although my wife tried talking to people at the front desk, the most they ever did was send someone over to the room to feel the floor (Yep, its wet, all right.) and bring in a couple of fans in an attempt to dry the carpet more quickly. No apology. We asked if they had a de-humidifier. They said no. How about an air purifier? They said theyd bring one over. Four hours later, we had yet to see one. We called again, and housekeeping finally knocked on the door when our kids were falling asleep.
But Im getting ahead of myself. After the fiasco of checking into a soggy room, we still wanted to salvage something of the afternoon. Things got a little bit bette at the OKW pool, with its fun water slide. The afternoon air was a bit cool, with temps in the 60s, but the pool was nice and warm. Our son (age 5) had a blast going down the slide, something hes never had the courage to do in the past. Good times.
Back to the room, this time with three fans blowing loudly and pushing around moist air. Wanting to catch the ferry to Downtown Disney, we quickly changed while my wife checked in with family back home. A 45-minute phone call later, containing more unhappy news, and we werent in the mood for the ferry anymore.
Instead, we vowed to make the most of the evening by hanging out at OKW. For me, that meant the annual Cheeseburger in Paradise. Some background: In the weeks leading up to our annual trip, I usually like to get the kids (and myself) pumped up by playing Jimmy Buffets greatest hits. Then I order a cheeseburger from Goods Food to Go, a snack bar located next to the OKW pool, on our first night down there. A burger, a coke, a warm evening in the tropics: its a nice way of officially beginning our vacation. We ordered the food, but it was too chilly to eat outside, so we ate in the Gurgling Suitcase, a cozy little bar. After that, we headed over to Conch Flats Community Hall to see what kind of activities we might find. It was our first time there, and quite fun. DS and I played checkers, while DD and DW played Candyland. The game room also had darts, air hockey and foosball, which DS thoroughly enjoyed while DD played with some of the toys stacked in the corner. All in all, a surprisingly enjoyable evening, partially making up for the lousy check-in.
The day ended with us going back to the room and giving DD her nightly breathing treatment. Shes on several different meds to keep the asthma under control and it generally works very well. But a combination of factors a recent cold, the musty room, Floridas high pollen count, maybe just plain bad luck she started coughing as she fell asleep. And coughing. And coughing. DS slept right through it, but my wife and I could not. We both slept fitfully all night long, worried about our family back home, a potentially sick daughter here in Florida, a damp hotel room and the general uneasiness that comes with knowing that this vacation had gotten off to a very bad start.
Next installment . . . DAY 2 at Animal Kingdom.
Never have I taken a Disney trip with such a wide range of emotions. Some family health issues back home (not necessary to recount in detail here, but serious enough to keep our minds occupied throughout our recent vacation) were only the start. Having just returned last night, I wanted to recount some of the high points in the hopes that others might learn from our experiences.
DAY 1:
We arrived on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Old Key West. Its been our home base for the last five years, and never have we been treated as poorly as we did upon our arrival this time. OKW has a reputation for outstanding service, but we arrived in our room to the mustiest, most humid smell we could imagine. When our kids took off their shoes, we knew why: The carpet was soaking. Someone must have cleaned the carpets recently and used way too much water. In general, a wet carpet is rather uncomfortable but usually not cause for a major crisis; however, because our 3-year-old daughter has asthma, we feared the musty air in the room would aggravate her condition. Although my wife tried talking to people at the front desk, the most they ever did was send someone over to the room to feel the floor (Yep, its wet, all right.) and bring in a couple of fans in an attempt to dry the carpet more quickly. No apology. We asked if they had a de-humidifier. They said no. How about an air purifier? They said theyd bring one over. Four hours later, we had yet to see one. We called again, and housekeeping finally knocked on the door when our kids were falling asleep.
But Im getting ahead of myself. After the fiasco of checking into a soggy room, we still wanted to salvage something of the afternoon. Things got a little bit bette at the OKW pool, with its fun water slide. The afternoon air was a bit cool, with temps in the 60s, but the pool was nice and warm. Our son (age 5) had a blast going down the slide, something hes never had the courage to do in the past. Good times.
Back to the room, this time with three fans blowing loudly and pushing around moist air. Wanting to catch the ferry to Downtown Disney, we quickly changed while my wife checked in with family back home. A 45-minute phone call later, containing more unhappy news, and we werent in the mood for the ferry anymore.
Instead, we vowed to make the most of the evening by hanging out at OKW. For me, that meant the annual Cheeseburger in Paradise. Some background: In the weeks leading up to our annual trip, I usually like to get the kids (and myself) pumped up by playing Jimmy Buffets greatest hits. Then I order a cheeseburger from Goods Food to Go, a snack bar located next to the OKW pool, on our first night down there. A burger, a coke, a warm evening in the tropics: its a nice way of officially beginning our vacation. We ordered the food, but it was too chilly to eat outside, so we ate in the Gurgling Suitcase, a cozy little bar. After that, we headed over to Conch Flats Community Hall to see what kind of activities we might find. It was our first time there, and quite fun. DS and I played checkers, while DD and DW played Candyland. The game room also had darts, air hockey and foosball, which DS thoroughly enjoyed while DD played with some of the toys stacked in the corner. All in all, a surprisingly enjoyable evening, partially making up for the lousy check-in.
The day ended with us going back to the room and giving DD her nightly breathing treatment. Shes on several different meds to keep the asthma under control and it generally works very well. But a combination of factors a recent cold, the musty room, Floridas high pollen count, maybe just plain bad luck she started coughing as she fell asleep. And coughing. And coughing. DS slept right through it, but my wife and I could not. We both slept fitfully all night long, worried about our family back home, a potentially sick daughter here in Florida, a damp hotel room and the general uneasiness that comes with knowing that this vacation had gotten off to a very bad start.
Next installment . . . DAY 2 at Animal Kingdom.
. here's hoping that day 2 goes better,
Having a son with asthma I understand the helpless feeling of listening to him cough and knowing there is nothing else to do.
Sometimes its best just to go to the clinic, for everyone's peace of mind.
