Part 1. How many clues does it take to get the center of a truck class?
It used to be that the best part of waking up was Folgers in your cup. Later, the best part of waking up in Disney World was getting your Mickey wakeup call. Then Disney screwed up everything and added Stitch to the call. But, looking back now
I would so love that Stitch wakeup. I guess its all a matter of perspective.
Cut to me Tuesday morning, holding the phone and listening to - well, I dont know what. It sounded like the Three Caballeros or Tiki Birds or some things with a Mexican accent, muttering something indiscernible. The recording had started in the middle of their dialog. And because it started in the middle, it didnt make any sense. Well it wouldnt have if I could understand a word of it. Then one of them mentions something about needing a siesta and then - nothing. The phone is dead.
Whawhat? What the heck was that?
Stupid Disney people. Bring back the Mickey wakeup calls. The messages are supposed to fill us with anticipatory hopes on todays Disney adventures, not confound and befuddle a person into a state of contemplation and confusion. Its way too early for that.
My room. Lovely, isn't it? The towel animals on the TV tell me that I took this picture after class. I kept that towel Mickey on the bed all week. I gotta say, it's difficult to not disturb the towel Mickey when you're sleeping under it.
So its our first full day in the World. Except most of it will be spent inside a classroom. Now, the classroom is in the Boardwalk Inn, so technically were still in Disney. And if were in Disney World, then it sort of counts
right?
I grab my stuff and step outside.
View from my door. This is the kind of room difficult, cheap, and vocal guests get.
Balcony shot #2. My room ROCKED.
Ahhh
just feel that humidity at seven oclock in the morning. I know my hair loves it. In about ten seconds after hitting the heat, the curls unravel and lay flat against my head. It did look good for twenty minutes, at least. I knock on Jakies door, she opens it. I watch her hair slowly deflate before my eyes and then we head out to our silver rental car.
Okay, remember all of our adventures in getting lost on our first day? Yeah
ha ha
those were some laughs, huh? I mean, how can you get lost in Disney World, right? With those big purple signs all over the place? Ha ha. We were so lost
yeah
good times. I imagine the reason we had so much trouble is probably because we had to get up so early yesterday. That was crazy. But experience is the greatest teacher, they say. And who has more experience driving around the World than us?
Okay, so
maybe Jakie doesnt have superior navigational skills. I know, I know, quite a lot to swallow right now. But lets pretend for a moment that getting lost was
slightly less the fault of purple signs and inadequate road maps and a
teeny bit more fault the navigator to my right. Because surely we couldnt get lost two days in a row, right?
Well
um
Alright. We were
supposed to go to the Boardwalk Inn. So instead of looking for Boardwalk Inn signs, we were looking for Epcot Resorts sign. That
may have been my idea. I dont remember. And it really isnt important now. But I guess we followed the wrong signs because the next thing I knew
we were on a one-way road to get into the Epcot parking lot. As soon as I realized my error guess what? there was absolutely nowhere to turn around. Fifty lanes of cars going into the park, but not one to let me turn around. What if you get cold feet and decide Epcot is too much for you today? Whose bright idea was this to go this way, anyway?
So I had to do the Drive Of Shame and pull up to the booth lady. Uhhh
my navigator sucks. How do I turn around?
The booth lady smiled at me like navigators stick it to their drivers all the time, and pointed up ahead to a turnaround lane. That sure would have saved me some embarrassment had that lane been located
before the booths. Once I pulled away I realized it would have been a good idea to ask her how to get to the Boardwalk. Perhaps Travel Brain Disorder lasts a few days or something. Really, its the only logical explanation.
Well, we turned around and headed back toward the vicinity of the resort. Thats when I realized that finding a Disney park is easy peasy Japeneasy. But finding your room? Yeah, good luck with that.
By some grace of something geographical, we did find Boardwalk Inn, and in plenty of time before class started. Whew! Hopefully that is the end of us getting lost.
[Insert nervous laughter, coupled with copious wood knocking]
I pull up to the Boardwalk Inn booth and tell the booth lady were here for a class. She guides us to the right. That should have been clue #1 where we needed to go. I drive the car in the direction she suggested, and parked the silver rental car next to other silver cars. We walk toward the main entrance.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Its not the convention center. Well, we didnt know there WAS a convention center, smarty!
Oblivious to the oversized CONVENTION CENTER sign directly in front of us (clue #2), we instead beeline straight to the main lobby, walk inside, and stand around like a couple of goofs. Were not really sure where to go. I do see a screen on the wall that informs us that the Class about Trucks or Something is held here all week. What it didnt tell us was where it was or how to get there. Jakie broke down first and grabbed the first cast member walking by. Where can we find the Transportation class?
Thats it! Transportation class. I knew it had something to do with trucks.
The cast member told us we had to go back out the doors. He followed us outside and pointed. The convention rooms are right there, to the left. That should have been clue #3.
I follow Jakie as she takes an immediate left. What looks less like a pathway and more like a servants area, we walk down a little walking path that is getting narrower and narrower. Gee, this doesnt
seem right, Jakie. But since she has superior navigation skills, Im sure this must be the right way. Then the path turns around a corner, and when we turn into it we walk into
a wall. What the? Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending how you look at it), the cast member was standing there, watching us walk into a wall. Noooooo you idiots
.down
there. And thats when we see a prominently covered walkway that led into other areas of the resort. There it was, clear as day. I cant even imagine what he was thinking as he watched us take the Path to Painted Cinderblocks.
Jakie and I look at each other and laugh. Lets see
we drove to Epcot looking for the Boardwalk. Once safely at the resort, we literally walk into a corner looking for the conference rooms.
And thats just today.
The covered walkway that we were supposed to take goes down a bit before branching off into two directions: one toward the bus stop and the other toward a big sign that said Conventions. Okay, there wasnt a big sign there, but there may as well have been. We found several people in business attire outside, chatting on their cell phones and looking less touristy and a lot more professional
clue #4.
When we walked into the building, Jakie asked the first person she saw: Is this where the Transportation class is? After the man confirmed the location she gave a relieved laugh and said, Okay, we just wanted to make sure. Dude, you have no idea what we went through to get here.
Is it really true, Jakie? Did we find it? Am I dreaming?
Right next to the meeting room was a huge Truck poster
giant clue #5. Seriously, you couldnt miss the place even if you ARE Jakie and Hucifer. We walked into the room and saw rows of tables with thick white binders at each seat. Jakie, look at the size of those binders. The teacher must take this class seriously or something.
Up next: Part 2. When Hell freezeth over
Well bust my buttons, you're back!!! Well, truthfully the Christmas goodies are doing that faster, but YIPPEEE, you're back!
Just wait until Peanut starts singing about booooobies!
Thank you for the compliment.
I'm sorry - I'm honestly not laughing at you, but with you... been there/ done the exact same thing!
I mean...it's a good thing we're all a patient bunch 
