jsmla
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2001
- Messages
- 4,498
Who: Me, Jennifer
Where: Pop Century and Beach Club Villas
When: 1/29/2006 (early)
I'm late, I'm late
For a very important date
No time to say "Hello", "Goodbye"
I'm late, I'm late, I'm late
from Alice in Wonderland (Lyrics by Bob Hilliard)
Big day today. First I have to pack up for a move to my swanky new digs at the Beach Club Villas. Second, and more nerve-wracking, I have to get ready for my first official DIS meet-up. Aaaah! I don't do that sort of thing. I've known most of the people I know now for over 20 years, some of them for over 40. Meeting new people is definitely not my forte. With my friends and family I am assertive and opinionated. Around strangers I'm hesitant and dull. It probably doesn't help that for the past 26 years I've been married to Mr. Personality. Scott is open and charming and has never met a stranger. In social situations I've gotten used to just letting him do all the work My social skills, never razor sharp, are definitely rusty.
I never sleep well when I'm excited or nervous and last night was no exception so I'm up by 5:00. Put on the news, shower and pack up. This doesn't take long since I never really unpacked my suitcase and I finished off the last of the beer and Doritos for dinner last night. That done, I head over to Everything Pop for a drink. At 6:00 the food court is open but none of the drink stations are working. A few other mug people and I mill about and grumble for 10 minutes or so before a manager-type comes to straighten things out. I don't know what the coffee people did but I was given a 20oz bottle of Diet Coke which was fine with me. Back in the room I had my coke and the rest of yesterday's chocolate chip muffin while I watched the weather. They're predicting rain for this afternoon. I thought about my upcoming meet-up and changed clothes two or three times before finally giving up and leaving Pop Century.
I've enjoyed my stay at Pop. The room wasn't palatial but I didn't find it all that small. I've certainly stayed in smaller. In Paris last November DD and I paid over $100 euros a night for a room with one double bed in it. You could sit on this bed and easily touch three out of the room's four walls. For around $70/night for a preferred room I thought a Pop was a fair deal. My room was very clean and I had absolutely no problems with noise or the bus service. As a single traveler I liked having the food court there to grab a quick bite. If it weren't for the Pop ambiance DH and I could easily stay in a king room here, especially in the winter when we wouldn't need a pool.
It's still quite early and I don't have to be at the Animal Kingdom until 8:30 so I decide to run a few errands. The first thing I need to do is take care of the allergy situation. It really wouldn't do to doze off right there in front of someone I 'd just met. Scott had my doctor fax a prescription over to a Walgreen's in Kississmee. The navigation gods must be riding with me this morning because I find the Walgreen's with very little trouble. They have my prescription and I'm able to pick up a few things for my stay at BCV.
My second goal is to check in at Beach Club Villas. I'm pretty excited about this. Years and years ago my family stayed at the Beach Club with my Mom on a quick Labor Day trip and it was wonderful. Mom was treating and we had a fantastic room with a balcony that looked out over the lake. Mom also did a lot of baby-sitting and this was the first trip where Scott and I could go out to dinner and do things without the kids along. This was a big change from our usual vacations in a camper at Ft. Wilderness and I have very fond memories of the Beach Club.
The entrance to the Beach Club is grand and sweeping and the only other vehicle in the drive was a limo. I was a little worried that the valet might snooty at my six year old Camry but he takes it in stride. Inside the lobby is light and airy, fancy without being intimidating a la Grand Floridian. Although it's only 7:20 there's a line at the desk. Only two people, but boy do they have problems. The first guest is a lady with Dining Plan troubles. She's a little too far away for me to eavesdrop but the lone CM at the desk spends a lot of time making phone calls and tapping on the computer before things get worked out. Next in line is a gentleman from the Villas. This conversation I get to hear in detail as he's right in front of me and gets very loud. He wants a late check-out and it appears that late check-out is not available at Beach Club Villas. The man starts out insistent and proceeds through adamant and pushy to downright obnoxious. Time is tick, tick, ticking away as this guy continues to argue and argue and argue.
After about twenty minutes of this I start to get impatient. Here it is almost 8:00 and this guy's still yammering on about how his problem is special and the rules don't apply to him. All very well and good, but I've got to get checked in and be at the Animal Kingdom in 30 minutes. Since he's obviously on his way to golf (he's got clubs with him) I doubt that his is a life or death situation. At 8:00 someone who is authorized to deal with people like him finally comes on duty and the angry man gets passed on to her. The poor, flustered original CM now has to deal with me and I'm pretty sure I looked like I was going to be more of the same. She needn't have worried though, I know who to be mad at. Even if I want to rant and rave I don't have the time so I just ask for a non-smoking room somewhere in the vicinity of Disney World, grab my keys and folder of Disney info and rush out.
My dusty old Camry is still sitting in the drive with the shiny new limo. I retrieve my key from the valet, hop in the car and peel out of the drive with all the speed and dash that a six-year-old four cylinder engine can muster.
I HATE to be late for stuff. It's just so rude, like you think your time is so much more valuable than that of the person who's waiting. Not a good way to make a nice first impression. I break a few speed limits on my way to the Animal Kingdom parking lot.
Whoa! Look at the cars! Animal Kingdom isn't supposed to open until nine but there's already a huge line to get into the parking lot. Cars spread across all the lanes and are backed up five or six deep.
Okay, now I'm officially late. I have a brilliant idea for the Disney parking people. How about a line for people who don't need a parking pass, don't need a map and don't have any questions? The folks in front of me take forever. They have to pay, they need a map and apparently are gathering information on every attraction in the greater Orlando area. Come on, come on, come on! Let's move it people!
I speed through the parking lot and come to a squealing halt in my spot. I get the impression that the Disney guy would like to take a moment to discuss my parking skills but I just don't have the time. I grab the keys and my bag and dash for the entrance. No time for the tram, I take off jogging. As you may have realized by now I'm not at my best when asked to run and I flap up to the Animal Kingdom all sweaty, breathless and disheveled. So much for all my primping this morning.
Where: Pop Century and Beach Club Villas
When: 1/29/2006 (early)
I'm late, I'm late
For a very important date
No time to say "Hello", "Goodbye"
I'm late, I'm late, I'm late
from Alice in Wonderland (Lyrics by Bob Hilliard)
Big day today. First I have to pack up for a move to my swanky new digs at the Beach Club Villas. Second, and more nerve-wracking, I have to get ready for my first official DIS meet-up. Aaaah! I don't do that sort of thing. I've known most of the people I know now for over 20 years, some of them for over 40. Meeting new people is definitely not my forte. With my friends and family I am assertive and opinionated. Around strangers I'm hesitant and dull. It probably doesn't help that for the past 26 years I've been married to Mr. Personality. Scott is open and charming and has never met a stranger. In social situations I've gotten used to just letting him do all the work My social skills, never razor sharp, are definitely rusty.
I never sleep well when I'm excited or nervous and last night was no exception so I'm up by 5:00. Put on the news, shower and pack up. This doesn't take long since I never really unpacked my suitcase and I finished off the last of the beer and Doritos for dinner last night. That done, I head over to Everything Pop for a drink. At 6:00 the food court is open but none of the drink stations are working. A few other mug people and I mill about and grumble for 10 minutes or so before a manager-type comes to straighten things out. I don't know what the coffee people did but I was given a 20oz bottle of Diet Coke which was fine with me. Back in the room I had my coke and the rest of yesterday's chocolate chip muffin while I watched the weather. They're predicting rain for this afternoon. I thought about my upcoming meet-up and changed clothes two or three times before finally giving up and leaving Pop Century.
I've enjoyed my stay at Pop. The room wasn't palatial but I didn't find it all that small. I've certainly stayed in smaller. In Paris last November DD and I paid over $100 euros a night for a room with one double bed in it. You could sit on this bed and easily touch three out of the room's four walls. For around $70/night for a preferred room I thought a Pop was a fair deal. My room was very clean and I had absolutely no problems with noise or the bus service. As a single traveler I liked having the food court there to grab a quick bite. If it weren't for the Pop ambiance DH and I could easily stay in a king room here, especially in the winter when we wouldn't need a pool.
It's still quite early and I don't have to be at the Animal Kingdom until 8:30 so I decide to run a few errands. The first thing I need to do is take care of the allergy situation. It really wouldn't do to doze off right there in front of someone I 'd just met. Scott had my doctor fax a prescription over to a Walgreen's in Kississmee. The navigation gods must be riding with me this morning because I find the Walgreen's with very little trouble. They have my prescription and I'm able to pick up a few things for my stay at BCV.
My second goal is to check in at Beach Club Villas. I'm pretty excited about this. Years and years ago my family stayed at the Beach Club with my Mom on a quick Labor Day trip and it was wonderful. Mom was treating and we had a fantastic room with a balcony that looked out over the lake. Mom also did a lot of baby-sitting and this was the first trip where Scott and I could go out to dinner and do things without the kids along. This was a big change from our usual vacations in a camper at Ft. Wilderness and I have very fond memories of the Beach Club.
The entrance to the Beach Club is grand and sweeping and the only other vehicle in the drive was a limo. I was a little worried that the valet might snooty at my six year old Camry but he takes it in stride. Inside the lobby is light and airy, fancy without being intimidating a la Grand Floridian. Although it's only 7:20 there's a line at the desk. Only two people, but boy do they have problems. The first guest is a lady with Dining Plan troubles. She's a little too far away for me to eavesdrop but the lone CM at the desk spends a lot of time making phone calls and tapping on the computer before things get worked out. Next in line is a gentleman from the Villas. This conversation I get to hear in detail as he's right in front of me and gets very loud. He wants a late check-out and it appears that late check-out is not available at Beach Club Villas. The man starts out insistent and proceeds through adamant and pushy to downright obnoxious. Time is tick, tick, ticking away as this guy continues to argue and argue and argue.
After about twenty minutes of this I start to get impatient. Here it is almost 8:00 and this guy's still yammering on about how his problem is special and the rules don't apply to him. All very well and good, but I've got to get checked in and be at the Animal Kingdom in 30 minutes. Since he's obviously on his way to golf (he's got clubs with him) I doubt that his is a life or death situation. At 8:00 someone who is authorized to deal with people like him finally comes on duty and the angry man gets passed on to her. The poor, flustered original CM now has to deal with me and I'm pretty sure I looked like I was going to be more of the same. She needn't have worried though, I know who to be mad at. Even if I want to rant and rave I don't have the time so I just ask for a non-smoking room somewhere in the vicinity of Disney World, grab my keys and folder of Disney info and rush out.
My dusty old Camry is still sitting in the drive with the shiny new limo. I retrieve my key from the valet, hop in the car and peel out of the drive with all the speed and dash that a six-year-old four cylinder engine can muster.
I HATE to be late for stuff. It's just so rude, like you think your time is so much more valuable than that of the person who's waiting. Not a good way to make a nice first impression. I break a few speed limits on my way to the Animal Kingdom parking lot.
Whoa! Look at the cars! Animal Kingdom isn't supposed to open until nine but there's already a huge line to get into the parking lot. Cars spread across all the lanes and are backed up five or six deep.
Okay, now I'm officially late. I have a brilliant idea for the Disney parking people. How about a line for people who don't need a parking pass, don't need a map and don't have any questions? The folks in front of me take forever. They have to pay, they need a map and apparently are gathering information on every attraction in the greater Orlando area. Come on, come on, come on! Let's move it people!
I speed through the parking lot and come to a squealing halt in my spot. I get the impression that the Disney guy would like to take a moment to discuss my parking skills but I just don't have the time. I grab the keys and my bag and dash for the entrance. No time for the tram, I take off jogging. As you may have realized by now I'm not at my best when asked to run and I flap up to the Animal Kingdom all sweaty, breathless and disheveled. So much for all my primping this morning.
Waiting for more!!!!
Did I somehow miss the end of this...I'm hooked and I want to know how you Dis meet went!!!!!
