Good evening.
I'm sure a lot of you will be a bit disappointed in tonight's chapter, but I have to do this.
As you can tell, we have reached the homestretch of the current trip, but before this report ends, I need to share something with you all that doesn't rhyme with "vowels".
Mainly, pics and thoughts.
And since our own family is ready to disown us due to all things Disney, who better to share photos with then others who have the same disease we have?
I"m looking right at YOU!
It's like this;
We were also in the World in August of 09, and I mentioned before, April of '10.
Neither trip was eventful enought to warrant a trip report, but we did take some photos I want to share.
I also REALLY never intended to do a report on this trip, that's why there was even fewer photos taken, and my little notebook I jot stuff down in didnt even make the trip.
But, as you can tell, one thing after another happened, and by the time I realized that it might be trip report worthy, all the photo ops were gone, and I can't get the Delorean started to be able to go back and take them like I should have.
As you can tell, our room views have always been important to us, moreso for Smidgy and we have been really lucky in almost all our trips to the Mouse and Universal.
Just to prove that I'm not making up the list mania and OCD I suffer from, we have now gone through the check-in process 39 times between Disney and Uni.
34 for a Disney room, 5 for a Universal on site room, off sites don't count.
Of those 39 check-ins, only a few times were we less then happy about our room and location. And even those weren't really bad and no, I'm not counting the room at Sports as being bad because it was exactly what we wanted, our only problem there was that you can't choose your neighbors.
As for bad rooms?
On our first trip for only 3 nights to Pop, we had the fifties building closest to the food court, facing the parking lot. If there's a parking lot involved, Diane doesn't want it.
The biggest problem with that room was that Pop was relatively new, and we were on the 4th floor.
And since the landscaping was also new, the trees planted outside between the building and the parking lot didn't reach that high yet, 2nd or 3rd floor wouldn't have been so bad.
We also had a one nighter in Touchdown section at Sports.
This was right on the main walkway through the resort adn most people would have been thrilled with it I guess, and really close to the main pool and food court.
But we didn't like it at all. The football field is just barren, a big waste of space, the huge icons are boring, and I guaranteed you, there will be kids playing something in that
field all day and night long.
Another crappy room we didn't care for was when all we cjould get was a "preferred " room at Movies, since we had little choice we asked for Dalmations.
Well we got Dalmations all right, but the room was on the inside facing the other Dalmations building with a "forest" in between.
It was quiet, but too quiet, and very dark due to all the trees, not festive at all considering you're staying in 101 Dalmations.
But that's about it as for complaining, everything else we were usually very pleased with.
More than pleased.
I thought we had great rooms as you can see from the pics from Vero and Beach Club, those are views "To die for!"
(yes, I'm going to punish me fingers later for typing that, I just can't until I finish up here)
So, in April we were at French Quarter for a while, and then Riverside for 6 nights.
We got exactly where we wanted at FQ, but it took some work.
On original check in, we had the manager as our checkerinner, and he was a major turd.
We had requested Building 6, facing the street, so of course he put us in building 4, faceing the parking lot. He tried to tell us it faced a garden, and that there wasn't any other rooms available anyway, so we went and looked at it.
Yeah, it faced a bit of a garden, it mostly faced the warehouse building and a used car lot and we went back and rejected it.
It was a Sunday, the biggest turnover day in the World and we were early, around ten o'clock, no way is he going to get away with telling me there are no other rooms available.
I was all ready to let him have it, but I guess he had already put in his 20 minute shift and we got another guy.
Told this guy we didn't like our room, we had requested building 6 facing the street so he put us in building 6 facing the street.
That simple.
I didn't take pictures of this location because we had stayed in a room two doors down before and took the room biew pics then.
But even better this time?
It was a corner room, and Nebo loves corner rooms.
Not sure why, but that extra side window makes the room so much more cheerier, and the room seems larger too.
When we moved over to Riverside, we wanted a total change from what we've had in the past.
Even though we may like a certain section of a resort, we'll choose a totally different area just to make the trip somehow different.
Like we have always stayed in either 60's or 50's at Pop, but this December we have asked to be in the 80's section just to make it different.
At Riverside, we've stayed in buildings 16 and 18 before, and the Oak Manor building in the Mansion section. This time I asked for building 39 in the bayous.
Even though it is a long walk to the food court, it is close to '
the bridge to 'Ol Man Island, is near to a bayou section quiet pool, and is also near the Magnolia Terrace quiet pool.
That gives us an easy walk to 3 totally differently themed pools.
I also like the looks of the buildings way in the back of the bayou, they have a cool stone facade instead of all wood.
Now, even though our room in 39, second floor faced a huge copse of trees, it was all of 8 steps till you rounded a corner with a completey different view.
(yes, Danielle, you're right, the entire reason I'm doing this chapter is just so I can finally use the word "copse" in a sentance)
So here is basically our view from bldg. 39:
I think that's a terrific view to be faced with first thing in the morning.
Let's check it out at night:
That pool was so inviting at night that at least a couple times when we got back from fireworks we had to throw in our suits and go in, at least for a little bit.
Especially when it's that close.
Ok, let's back up to August now.
This trip probably went through more metamorphosis than any other trip we ever planned; including from on to off to back on again.
And at the last second, one month away, we added in the Royal Pacific for three nights at Universal.
This was pre Harry, but the Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit was in soft opening.
This trip was 3 nights RP, 3 nights room only at CBR, and then 8 nights free dining at Pop.
Let's start with Pop.
( oh take it easy, McDisney, this will all be over soon and we'll have a real chapter up in a couple nights)
(yes, yes, I know it's boring, why don't you go in your room and play X-Box until I'm done?)
At Pop, for reasons even I don't understand, I have always wanted to stay in the very end 50's building, the one with the jukebox. I requested it this time and said I want 2nd floor, facing the pool.
That's one thing nice about the Values, you can request pool views without paying extra since they don't have a category for that.
Yet.
They put us in the exact room I wanted, I couldn't have gotten closer if I had given them the exact room number.
But for some reason I still don't totally understand, it was a let down.
Here's the room views, I think I have day and night:
Still not sure why that wasn't a good spot, probably because it really was a long walk to refill the mugs, and to get to the bus stops, and I'm sure the swat team outside our room one morning cuz somebody had thrown something through the picture window during the night didn't help.
There also wasn't a nearby smoking section.
Before we got to Pop that trip, we first were at CBR for 3 nights. This room location was important because it was before the package, no park tickets or dining yet so we were going to spend a lot of time at the resort.
This time we struck gold.
It was booked because they had sent us another PIN code, only by the time I decided to act on it, the only thing open was Water View rooms for an extra ten bucks a night.
We asked for Jamaica or Aruba, I like the walk across the bridge.
They gave us Aruba, second floor, and facing the lake.
It was just a gorgeous room. But that's not all.
It was also a corner room, and the side window faced out to the Aruba quiet pool, I don't think there is a better room in the entire resort!
I think all these pictures are from standing directly in front of our door.
then over to the side:
Oh what the heck,,, me at the main pool
'
a little buddy of mine
one more
We still say those were some of the best 3 days we have ever spent in disney, not haveing to worry about rope drops, busses, anything, just swimming, eating, sleeping and drinking, I could run up to the room from the quiet pool and make drinks and be back down in no time.
The best thing about the quiet pools at the moderates is that you can bring in inner tubes and blow up rafts, at all the other pools you can only use noodles, or, you can use inner tubes providing they are totally transparent, including all the pools at Pop or the other Values.
Speaking of Pop, these were also taken this trip:
But,,,,,,,,,,,
AS nice as the room was at CBR, it could't touch what we ended up with at Royal Pacific.
THis was a once in a lifetime fluke, I'm sure.
When we decided at the last minute to try to add in Royal Pacific and Universal, all the rooms were taken, but we could get a
AAA room at Hard Rock for more money.
I wasn't crazy about this, but we booked it anyway, and plus, the Hard Rock no longer honors the Loews membership card.
Let me try to explain this to you.
All three of the Uni hotels belong to Loews, the last time we stayed at Royal Pacific was in '06, May, and with the Loews card we got a free bottle of wine and some peanuts at check in, brought to our room.
You can also get a free room upgrade, if available, late check out, if available, free use of the spa and fitness rooms, free newspaper, and some other junk.
It didn't cost anything back then so after using it that one time, it's been languishing in my wallet ever since.
About a couple of weeks before our trip, I tried one more time to see if we could switch over to Royal Pacific instead of Hard Rock, I knew the odds of it were zero, especially if I wanted a AAA discount.
Well, long story short, they now had a room for us, WITH AAA discount. I think it was 184 a night plus tax.
Yes, I k now it's not cheap, but believe me, if you want to do the parks there it is well worth it.
Very well worth it.
Your room key becomes a permanent fastpass, as many times as you want to use it. You can ride Hulk, or Spiderman until you're blue in the face.
Or green as the case may be.
And both parks are a short walk away. Plus,,,,,,
They encourage you to use the other resort pools, also a walk or boat ride away. The only thing you don't want to do is eat at the resorts, much cheaper to eat in the parks or Citywalk.
So when I found out a room was open, I grabbed it, then mentioned to the girl that we are members of Loews First.
Her response was "Great, if one is available, what kind of room upgrade would you like?"
Since we had requested a smoking room, yes, they still have them at Royal Pacific, not at Hard Rock, about the only thing I could think of was a pool view, I know that costs about 25 bucks more a night then the standard room we have now booked.
But I also remember that they don't have smoking rooms facing the pool, so that would be a waste of time to request it.
So, laughing I said, "Oh, a king bed suite would be a nice upgrade!"
She laughed too, then said, "Ok, I'll put that down."
The night before we checked in at RP we had spent at a Knight's inn on 192, right below Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Believe me, it felt really strange to cut through the DIsney grounds to get to the back roads that take you to Universal. "Hi DisneyWorld, no, not staying here yet, see you in 4 days!"
We pulled up at RP about 10:30, I dropped Diane off at the lobby entrance, then followed the guy directing the cars on where to park and went to park the car while she got in line in the meantime.
Only thing was, by the time I got there, whe was just finishing up checking us in.
I signed my name a couple of times and she said our room is ready now.
Great.
Now I"m pulling the car around yet again, drop off all the stuff with her and she went up with a bell hop to the room while I worked on my new hobby, parking the car.
At this point I still didn't even know what kind of room we had. I'm not kidding, I thought of asking, but I figured I'd find out soon enough anyways.
She had the door closed so I knocked, she let me in with this huge grin on her face.
The room was huge!
The first thing I saw was a big screen tv sitting on a bureau, then a desk with a chair in front where a computer was.
A coffee table, couch, lamps all over, chairs with a hassock, the only thing I didn't see was an actual bed and I mentioned that to Diane.
The grin got even bigger as she opened up this door I assumed was a closet,,,,,,,
and it opened into another huge room, maybe a little smaller.
AH,,, here's the beds, and another bathroom, wet bar, another plasma tv, but this one was only about 32 inches, dressers, we have never gotten something like this before, just incredible.
We didn't ever want to leave the room!
Or rooms.
What i'm leaving out, I'm sure she will fill in.
Here we go:
King bed in the separate bedrrom
other direction of the king bed, and window and table
view out the window
dressser, second tv and the cash bar thingy you never ever want to open
Vanna showing off the tv in the first room
and the rest of the first, main room.
Well, there you have it.
Unfortunately, this is now a bar that has been raised so high, there is no way it can ever be topped, at least I don't see how it could be.
And this upgrade didn't cost us a penny more.
This was one time I truly felt rich, somebody special.
I was stopping people walking down the hall and inviting them in for a drink.
Got a lot of funny looks.
Ok, thank you all for letting me show our pictures , at least now I feel I've done someting with them.
Anyway, the moral of the story if there is one, is
"Don't ever be afraid to ask for an upgrade, or anything else for that matter."
You just never know!
You've never seen a picture of me I take it! I am very fair skinned ~ I haven't a prayer to get a tan like yours!
(I'm a bad girl)
and ended up in the basement with a view of bushes)
. Everything there is so lush that I didn't even see the cars until I was going down the steps on day.
) They loved it. The staff couldn't have been any nicer when Jim told them what was going on with me. THey upgraded them to a King suite and gave Jimmy so much stuff it was crazy! It is on out list for the dream trip in 2013. 6 nights/7 days at AKL and then 3 nights/4 days at RPR!
