If only Tinker Bell was related to the tooth fairy... (FINISHED 4/26)

[trennr]

Gee I was about as late as this Trip Report...but I had to round up a few crickets.

Congrats on the Starting and First installment...and in only 6 months. your on a roll now.

 

[Emma's Dad]

Home!!!

Gee I was about as late as this Trip Report...but I had to round up a few crickets.

Congrats on the Starting and First installment...and in only 6 months. your on a roll now.

NATHAN!!!
Welcome home, buddy!!

 

[dvczerfs]

NATES HERE!!!! like norm coming into cheers!!

 

[luvmesometigger]

I stumbled into this thread but I think I would like to stay.

May I please??

Pretty please???

 

[DisneyDadC]

A funny thing happened today.I was on over at the DDC site checking in and all of a sudden I heard this chirping sound.I reached around to adjust the volume on the tv and realized it wasnt on.Now I am puzzled could not find out where the chirping was coming from. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.I thought to myself Don was in Disney, oh sometime ago.So the chirping could be only one thing!!! Don started his Tr!!.So off I hurried to the Tr board and low and behold there it was!!!
I know I am late, but finding Don's tr's are a little tricky.I am now pulling up a seat and am here for the ride.I am sure as always this will be a stellar Tr.

 

[Emma's Dad]

I stumbled into this thread but I think I would like to stay.

May I please??

Pretty please???

Of course! But I have to give fair warning... like I said on the first post, you have to be my friend

A funny thing happened today.I was on over at the DDC site checking in and all of a sudden I heard this chirping sound.I reached around to adjust the volume on the tv and realized it wasnt on.Now I am puzzled could not find out where the chirping was coming from. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.I thought to myself Don was in Disney, oh sometime ago.So the chirping could be only one thing!!! Don started his Tr!!.So off I hurried to the Tr board and low and behold there it was!!!
I know I am late, but finding Don's tr's are a little tricky.I am now pulling up a seat and am here for the ride.I am sure as always this will be a stellar Tr.

That must have been the sound of the DIS Dad's extraction beacon going off. Sometimes I get that mixed up with the submit button Now you have used some words I'm not quite familiar with in regards to my TR... like tricky... and stellar... wow. Oh, the pressure! LOL! I'm really happy you found it, Carl! Enjoy the ride.

 

[DisDr.]

Likin' it so far!

Can't wait for more.

 

[Disneymoon09]

I love this! I'm totally along for the ride and glad I was able to find this early. I too have an issue with posting on my TR, and I only have 1 more day to go but can't seem to finish....

 

[trennr]

I stumbled into this thread but I think I would like to stay.

May I please??

Pretty please???

You also have to like Crickets!!!

 

[luvmesometigger]

You also have to like Crickets!!!

Sure! Why not??

 

[Emma's Dad]

Likin' it so far!

Can't wait for more.

Welcome! Sadly, you will begin to realize that waiting is something you will have to do with the TR

I love this! I'm totally along for the ride and glad I was able to find this early. I too have an issue with posting on my TR, and I only have 1 more day to go but can't seem to finish....

And welcome to you, too! Now I'll need to go check out yours and see what's left. Maybe I'll start with the last day and work my way to the beginning!

You also have to like Crickets!!!

Sheesh... these must be YOUNG crickets... cause they haven't developed any patience yet!

Sure! Why not??

Hey... a cricket-lover here! Where Jiminy?

 

[Emma's Dad]

I LOVE the fact that it takes less than 5 hours to get from my comfy king sized bed in Virginia to the front entrance of CSR! There really is nothing in the world like stepping off the ME bus and onto Disney property on the first day. Magical. Simply magical! For us, this will be our second stay at CSR... with the first being our trip in 2009. We get our luggage from the driver and head for check in. Since we are already veterans to the resort, we know exactly which direction to turn... to the front desk we go!

There is something you should know at this point. You see, DW was SOOOOOO enamored with our first stay at CSR ... and particularly the room we were in... she kept insisting that we get the EXACT SAME ROOM. I know... all the DIS'rs are shaking there head right now saying to themselves, "You can't request a specific room". I had already faxed my request to the resort 3 days prior to our arrival... and had requested the Cabanas 8A section. As we are heading into to lobby, I am trying to think of different ways I could be both friendly and sly at the same time to get "our" room. However, It's only 9:30 am... we're just a little bit early for check in. Something tells me they are going to catch on to my shenanigans.

There is no one waiting in line as we roll up to the counter. Sweet! We are happily greeted by the CM at the counter and I promptly whip out my vouchers. A little small talk was had, and as she was typing our information into the system, I was preparing to lay on my sweet-talk. However... DW decided I was taking too long and just straight out, bold-faced asked her, "Any chance we can get room 8123?" My heart was pounding. This one moment in time could change the entire mood of the trip. With expectant eyes I watch every movement of the CM as she types and waits..... "Sorry, Ma'am... that room is not available at this time." OH NO! I look at DW for a reaction... but she replies, "Any chance we could get the room later?" Good form! Didn't think to ask that. A few more keystrokes and she answers, "Yes... the room would not be available until after 3:00pm, though." Hmmmmm... what is she going to do? We really just wanted to get a room to throw our stuff into and head out to a park. DW's reply actually startled me... "What room do you have available right now?" Yeah... what room? (I'm thinking here). Turns out the room they have available is just on the other side of the building. After a few minutes of back and forth between us, DW agrees to take the room that's ready now. She's not happy about it though. I did manage to squeak out "If you don't like the room we can come back and request another one." Remember I said this.

So now that we've got the room settled... a few more minutes later the CM is handing us our room keys, maps, park hours, etc. The normal check in stuff. I look through everything as a quick check to make sure we have everything. Hmmmm. We're missing something here. See, when we booked this trip I managed to book when they had the promo of receiving a $500 gift card upon check in. I booked the vacation through Disney's reservation system. Now I'm thinking maybe I missed something and she told me when I was going to receive the card, but I did not recall her saying anything... so I ask the CM, "When will we be receiving our gift card?" She asks for my vouchers back and double checks the system. "I'm sorry, Sir. You are not due a gift card." Uh oh. WHAT?!? At this point you could probably see the absolute disbelief on my face... and the absence of color from my face. I kindly asked her to check the system again, because I KNOW that we are supposed to get a gift card. And once again she says we are not entitled to get one. Apparently there is supposed to be a voucher in our voucher pack. And the code was not the right code on the reservation. I am getting mad at about this point. DW knows me well and quickly catches me before I go ballistic. DW asks me, "Do you have the confirmation email?" Oh yeah! I have that somewhere. So I begin my search for the confirmation... which I THOUGHT was in my laptop bag along with everything else. Unfortunately, it is not there. BUT...I do have a copy in my email. Bad thing is... it's in my Gmail account... and I have to get online to get to the email. I ask the CM if I can use a computer or get free wireless. Neither are available in the lobby... so she directs me to the business center. Great. Now I have to take a hike just to get my email! Grrrrrrrrrr.

So I tote my laptop down to the business center... which, if you familiar with CSR, it is not a short walk. It takes at least 5 minutes to walk there... or at least that's how long it seems when your about to break some heads open! Anyway... I get to the center and I explain my situation. The CM behind this counter says it will cost me about $10 to connect for the time I need. Um... HELLO? You're still going to charge me for about 2 minutes to get my email? My argument did not go very far with this guy and I was pretty fed up with the situation, so I simply grab my laptop and head back to the front desk. I'm fuming. I'm ready for a fight. Picture in your mind when Donald Duck has had his tail feathers put in a bunch by the chipmunks! But I do have to say this... this is NOT my nature. Normally I am the most laid back, patient man you have ever met. BUT DON'T MESS WITH MY DISNEY VACATION!

I can only imagine what the other resort guests were thinking as they passed me in the hallways back to the front desk. If I were wearing a black trench coat I'm sure security would have been called. No form of Disney happiness lingered on my face. I remember thinking, "I really should stop and count to ten right now." But I didn't. I kept on walking. Not sure what I was going to say once I reached the counter, but DW calmly and gently grabbed my arm as I approached and said she had settled the issue. Huh? Apparently, DW had already had a conversation with the manager and they were able to resolve the issue. They were going to take our word that the reservation system messed up and were going to issue the card anyway. They did not have the card there, so they had to "order" it and they would call us when it arrived. I wasn't quite sure how to react. I mean, I already had my pulse elevated from the walking, adrenaline flowing getting ready to start an argument, and here I am with nothing else to say except, "OK... great!" Crisis averted. Resume DEFCON level 5. Whew!

With nothing else to do at the counter, we give a wave and half a smile and go out the back of El Centro to begin our trek to Cabanas 8A... with all the luggage in tow. All the large luggage had wheels and I was able to stack most everything else on top, so we saw no need to wait for the mysterious cart people to help us. Still... it's a healthy walk to the Cabanas over the bridge and around the beach. DW noticed that the landscaping did not look as good as it did the year before. Wonder if the freezing temps they had this year killed off some stuff? Not sure... but about 7 minutes later we arrived to the building. OK... where's our room? We started walking around the left side of Cabanas 8A. Well now this is a different view. We finally find the room and I could already tell DW was not liking the location. We open the room and bring in all the luggage. I had enough time to snap this picture of DD (by the way, this is her "trying too hard to smile" look):



Just as I was about to open stuff and get situated, DW stopped me. "I don't like this room." she says. Oh boy. What to do now? We discussed our options and weighed the pros and cons. Turns out, the only thing that makes sense is to wait for the room we were looking forward to. I picked up the phone and spoke to the front desk. The CM was sympathetic and offered to hold "our" room (8123) and would call me when the room was ready (after 3:00pm of course). In the mean time, we would need to bring the luggage back to the front and check it in with the luggage room. Soooooooo... another 7 minute sweaty walk back to El Centro and we were checking our luggage in. Took a few pictures along the way:



One of my favorite pictures of my ladies:



We were specifically concerned about the laptop, but the CM gave his word it would be safe. It better! You don't want to be messing with me after the morning I've had! LOL! Finally, after all this, DW was now happy that we were going to get the room she wanted in the first place. I could have saved time and effort if I had just not said what I did earlier. Facepalm moment.

Well. Glad all that's taken care of now. With the dust settling we focus on more important things... getting our resort mugs! A quick stop into Café Rix scores us mugs full of our favorite beverages... for FREE The world is now a little better. We even take some time to see if there are any sunglasses (affordable and cool) at Mel's Place... oops... I mean Panchito's Gift shop. No luck there... cool - check... affordable - uncheck. Hopefully we can find a pair I like at the theme park. While I was checking out the sunglasses, DW and DD were looking around the place for their own treasures. I caught back up with them towards the back of the store. You are NOT going to believe this... but did you know that they carry Webkinz in the shops?? For the love of God... WHY? For the past year this is all DD does on the computer in her spare time. She actually has made over $50,000 in Webkinz cash by playing on the site. So here we are... in WDW... thinking she'll want something Disney related and she is going bonkers, pleading with us to buy one of the Webkinz. Oh... one thing I forgot to mention is the fact that DW and I had purchased DD a Disney gift card for DD for her 7th birthday. It was only $25, but she held onto that thing since January so she could spend it on vacation. So, naturally, DW and I decided that if she wanted this thing she would have to use her own gift card. I forget how much that thing cost, but it was about $15 IIRC. DD bought it and you might have mistaken her as the child who just won a stay in Cinderella Castle! She was very happy with her purchase. Here is DD with her new Webkinz Owl:



And another lobby picture:



With all the morning drama quickly fading in our rearview mirror, we set our sights on getting to the parks. Can you guess which one we will go to first?

Day 1, Part 3: "Seriously?? I should have stayed in bed this morning..."

 

[afwdwfan]

Wow, an update already? We might have to stop picking on you if you keep this up.

I can only imagine what the other resort guests were thinking as they passed me in the hallways back to the front desk.

My guess is that they just thought you were in the wrong Orlando area park when you turned green and started ripping your clothes.

 

[Emma's Dad]

Wow, an update already? We might have to stop picking on you if you keep this up.

LOL... warp speed, Scotty!

My guess is that they just thought you were in the wrong Orlando area park when you turned green and started ripping your clothes.

Kermit the Frog?

 

[trennr]

With all the morning drama quickly fading in our rearview mirror, we set our sights on getting to the parks. Can you guess which one we will go to first?

Glad you were able to score your room. When we went I wanted my 8561 form our first stay...but landed over in the Casitas 32something.

In the Picture above...What is the price of that Red Luggage? Is that $19.95 or $39.95???

I ask cause when we were there in Sept...they started out at $16.95 with a $50 purchase...2 days later they were $11.95 straight-up. we ended up buying a couple of sets as gifts for Neices and Nephews whom may be going this spring.

I'm betting you goto HS...cause I think that's where you went last year first.

 

[Emma's Dad]

Glad you were able to score your room. When we went I wanted my 8561 form our first stay...but landed over in the Casitas 32something.

Yeah... we were pretty happy in the end for the room. Sorry to hear you didn't get what you were hoping for. They must have been pretty full.

In the Picture above...What is the price of that Red Luggage? Is that $19.95 or $39.95???

I ask cause when we were there in Sept...they started out at $16.95 with a $50 purchase...2 days later they were $11.95 straight-up. we ended up buying a couple of sets as gifts for Neices and Nephews whom may be going this spring.

The picture shows $39.95. Can't read the fine print on it $11.95 sounds like a great deal!

I'm betting you goto HS...cause I think that's where you went last year first.

Got 1 for DHS... who's got another guess?

 

[afwdwfan]

Got 1 for DHS... who's got another guess?

I'll take MK... that's where I've always got to go first.

 

[Rental01]

As a Webkinz Dad (my wife and kids went Webkinz NUTS when they came out. All said, we had over 60 of them - at $15-20 a piece and now they're collecting dust in the bottom of our cedar chest), I can say that the owl is really cute. My wife wants the Okapi really badly.

I'm glad to hear it worked out for you. As much as I'd like to stay at CSR (everytime I checked, even back in April, they said that there were no rooms available at CSR during our vacation), I think we'll do alright at ASMovies this time. Like I said before, the deal that I scored with my family was 7 days at CSR or 10 days at a value resort. Of course, now that I'm thinking about it, I'd prefer to stay at ASMu instead. BAH!

 

[dvczerfs]

love the update don! maybe next time you should wait outside and let dw check in.nothing to be ashamed of, its that women thing. if you have a male cast member, putty in the hand for dw. if you get a female cast member, they have some kind of secret hand shake or something. they dont want to deal with us hot head men!! i have been to wdw 48 times and never stayed in the same room twice. love the owl and cant wait for the next update!!

 

[that's nice]

Man, what a fiasco at check in. I am glad that they did give you the gift card. I mean that is $500 that wasn't going to be in your pocket. That isn't pocket change.

Great pic of you DW & DD!!!!

Why didn't your DW like the room? View, location, dirty????

I'm thinking you went to MK.