Ok, now I'm all caught up.
Glad it wasn't bed bugs and just gnats. With me from being from South Louisiana, gnats are no problem for us. 
How exciting that your next trip is booked. I wish we were booking a DW trip for next summer, but we have a Disney Cruise booked instead. 
It will be a surprise for the kids.
We also love the Rainforest cafe. We've been there twice and both times we were satisifed with our meals.
Glad you were able to make the trip to Tennessee to visit Lacey, but OMG with the van problems. Hope it gets better.
I can usually stand gnats but these suckers would bite us and it hurt like heck.
Oh I wish I could talk John into going on a cruise. I've actually priced out a 3 (or was it 4) day Disney cruise and then a Disney vacation right after it. It came out to just $100 or so more than staying at Disney the entire time.
The van problems were driving me nuts. Like I said, I was praying that it would make it to Tennessee. Then, if it died, I didn't care. I'd fly home if I had to.
I feel your pain only in the opposite way My Mom can't seem to get going, we will be getting passed by everyone on the road but she will not speed up. I try to drive anytime we are out with her. Mama's van seem's to be a bit "finicky".
I don't know which one is worse....driving fast or driving slow. Mama doesn't drive fast once she gets going, it's just when she starts off. I feel like I'm on Mission Space.
I think the thing the bugs me the most is the fact that she almost refuses to drive in the left hand lane which means she waits until the last minute to pass anybody. Oh well, I am sure I scare her with my driving too so that makes us even.
A couple of great updates while I was away!
I am sorry to hear about the trouble you had getting an activation code for your card. Sheesh! Last year I did the points redemption while at Disney- through Guest Services, because my billing period came up during the trip and I wanted every last point possible!
Happy Birthday, Hunter (I know, belated). Looks like a yummy meal and a great table at RFC. Did you tell them it was his birthday? Did they do anything special.
Are you kidding me on the road construction, transmission issue and no vacancy problems?
I love the color on that Suburban. You wouldn't have trouble finding that in the Goofy lot at MK!
I am enjoying your trip report and am loving all the information you're posting on Universal Studios.
I had no idea I would have such a hassle getting my points/rewards card. It was such a pain in the behind.
Hunter had a wonderful birthday and didn't mind at all that we didn't celebrate on the actual day because we more than made up for it while at Disney.
WOW! Sorry ma'am, we gave away your room right after you confimed you were coming so when you get here you can add to your list of "NOW WHAT".
Glad to see they comp'ed you for everything though. I would have went to sleep on the front desk
Can't wait to see what resturant you went to, and why it could be cussing!
I know! When John told me that they didn't have the room I booked, I couldn't believe my ears.
Oh. My. Goodness.!!! If it isn't bad enough you are exhausted add to it the stress of not getting to bed until 4:30am!! Yep, I think I could have fouind amny places in that lobby to curl up and sleep! At least they "made" it up...I could definitely take that comp though! Pretty good deal!
I have an idea on the restaurant...but I will wait and see! 
Those couches in the reception area were looking mighty good about that time of the morning.
I'm betting your idea on the restaurant is right on the money and will be posting that update today.
On my way home I saw this and thought of your TN trip...
Are there seriously more than one of these in this area or is the metallic purple fairy making the rounds!?! 
I wonder if that was the same Suburban. We were between Jackson and Meridian when we saw it. So, that's in your neck of the woods.
Well, it bites that they gave away your room, but at least they were decent enough to comp the rooms for the night and give you 2 rooms for the price of one.
I am thinking about starting a PTR soon for my trip (and actually being able to keep up with this one!). I know its over 6 months away, but next month I will be busy with last minute wedding stuff for my sister's wedding, then September is the wedding, then October I am on a road trip for 16 days. So, maybe if I start it now I can finish it before I leave in February!
Can't wait to read the rest of your mini TR, and then the TR!
Yeah, the sting of them giving our room away was made up for when they gave us our first night free AND gave us two rooms for the price of one.
Let me know when you start the PTR. I'd love to read along.
Oof, having to go through all that trouble at 4am sure ain't fun, but at least they found a solution that did not involve you having to pay more.
Their solution was fine and dandy with me. Now, if I had to pay full price, then the guy behind the desk was have gotten a talkin' to.
I'm in.
Even though I don't live anywhere near Louisiana or Knoxville, I do know that drive. My eldest daughter lives in Shreveport and my in-laws live in Grainger County, TN (about a half hour from Knoxville). Several times, we've made the drive..down to Shreveport, then over to my in-laws. Can't believe that drive from Shreveport to Tennessee takes that long...after all, they are both in the South.
How close are you to Shreveport. From the looks of things, sounds like you're somewhat close to I-20.
Welcome! We are only 100 miles from Shreveport! Just like they say....it IS a small world after all.
How many times did you call to say you were coming? How many times did you call and say you were coming? What the he double hockey stick do they NOT understand about that. I'm glad to see they made it right by you, but no excuse for all that uncertainty to begin with.
Oh, and congrats to the boss!
Let's see.....2, maybe 3 times. And I had it noted on our reservation that it would be a late check-in. Oh well, at least they gave us two rooms.
The boss is going to drive me nuts if he doesn't get out of this office. He seems to think that he's the only person in the whole wide world who is getting married. Whenever he starts babbling about it, I tell him to plan a wedding that's three States away and three wedding receptions. That usually shuts him up.
Wow Lisa, you have a lot on your plate between your boss and Lacey getting married! Best wishes to your boss on his upcoming marriage. I hope things get back to normal for you at the office. I know all about bosses and how they can be big blubbering babies. 
I'm glad you got Lacey's invitation glitch worked out. When is her wedding date? (I'm sorry, I know you've probably posted before).
Wow! I can't believe the inn gave your room away after you had called them serveral times! That just stinks but at least they made up for it.
I had to laugh about your comment on being careful about watching your tongue when you say a restaurant name or else it will come out as a curse word. When I was 16 or 17 my family was shopping around for an inexpensive car for me to use. We were driving around and I wanted to tell them that I liked the car we had seen at City Chevrolet best. Well I got tongue twisted and pronounced city with the "sh" sound from Chevrolet. We were definitely not allowed to curse in my family and my mom jerked her head around and said "young lady I sure hope you didn't say what I thought you just said". I said "yes ma'am I said it, but it wasn't on purpose!" My dad just laughed. To this day I can't go by that car dealership without thinking of that slip-up!
Sorry to hi-jack with a personal story. 
I am curious to see what time you sleepy-heads were able to wake up after your looooonng day - yikes it was long!
Yeah, my plate runneth over. Wait, that's my cup runneth over isn't it?
My boss is such a whiney baby now-a-days. I'll be so glad when he gets hitched. Then, all I have to do is get Lacey married and things should calm down. Her wedding is August 20th. There's a dessert reception immediately following, a reception in Tennessee on August 21st and then a reception in Louisiana on August 26th. In between, they are going to Memphis, Tennessee for their honeymoon.
What a funny story! The one curse word that I let slip (which isn't very often) is the S word so I found that story especially funny.
You're experience at the Inn reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where he reserves a car but they give it away.
"We don't have your car"- agent
"But I have a reservation- that means there should be a car for me"- Jerry
"I know what a reservation means, sir"- agent
"No, apparently you don't. The reservation is the part that KEEPS the car. Anyone can take a reservation. (Pluck, Pluck, Pluck). The hard part is KEEPING the reservation!"- Jerry
I remember that episode! I love Seinfeld and we used to never miss it when it came on. That was one of my favorites. I can see Jerry standing at the desk right now.
I can't believe they gave away your room!! Thank goodness they gave you the 2 rooms & didn't charge you for the first night. I just can't figure out why in the world they would do that after you called them.
Are you going to go to your boss's wedding? If not, do you at least get Friday off this week?
I guess they figured they'd just give us the king room and we'd be happy. Honestly, I would have been happy with it. Just give me a room!
I am not going to my boss' wedding. It would have cost us about $400 to make the trip to New Orleans for the wedding. He was very understanding when I told him that that $400 was going towards Lacey's wedding. I wish I did have Friday off. I may head out early since we have lots of things to do this weekend.
I can't beeleive they gave your room away. It was a good thing it wasn't me., I would've probably lost my temper. LOL! That late at night and being on the road all day, I would've probably embarrassed myself with my yelling.
Even sitting in the car, I think after 10 minutes I would've went in annoyed.
And then Skip would get made a me for wondering why these people didn't do their job.
If I had had the energy in me at that time of the morning, I might have said something. John pretty much had it handled so I stayed in the car. At least they comp'd us a night and gave us two rooms.
But we can't go this fall. 
The one time I get a PIN! Oh well....
They gave your room away even though you called twice.
