TimNDansMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2000
- Messages
- 3,093
I had been calling home with my cell phone each day to see how the boys were doing. When I called on Sunday morning, Tim told me that Dad had called the day before to say that he would be in Orlando on Sunday. With that news, I decided that I would just head on down to the Comfort Inn LBV rather than go to Universal. I was already starting to lean towards that plan anyway because I couldnt remember if there were any lockers outside the gates and I didnt really want the Security going through my carry-on bag. Plus, I wasnt sure if I really wanted to do Universal by myself. It was one thing to go on those big roller coasters with my family, but to go on by myself???? Maybe Ill just save my PH for another time.
After packing up, I went down to the Days Inns little breakfast café for a fried egg sandwich (they offered a couple of breakfast selections), then checked out and went to wait for the Lynx bus and again make my way down to the TTC at Disney. It was about 11 oclock by this time.
When I arrived, I walked over to the Polynesian Resort to wait for the Downtown Disney bus. Once at DTD, I began my hike over to the Comfort Inn LBV on Palm Parkway. Its about a 5 minute drive by car. Keep in mind that my carry-on bag now contained my jeans, a sweatshirt and a jacket that I had worn down to Orlando, along with the extra clothes I had decided I needed when I wasnt sure when Dh would be arriving. It was pretty stuffed and getting heavier by the minute. (I had repaired the broken buckle on the strap with one shoelace and reinforced the other buckle with the second shoelace.) I also had a small backpack and a good size fanny-pack, so I must have looked a sight trudging down the street.
It was hot and I was dying to stop, but I was afraid if I did, I wouldnt be able to get going again. Constantly switching my carry-on bag from shoulder to shoulder, I imagined that I was in a marathon so I wouldnt allow myself to succumb to the pain in my shoulders. Managing to keep up a fairly brisk pace, the walk took me about a half hour and one thing I discovered was that I am still a pretty strong ol gal, if I put my mind to it!
I figured that once I got checked in, rested a bit, I could head back to DTD for some lunch and plan all my souvenir purchases for over the rest of the week, while waiting for Dh to arrive. But that was not to be. I was able to check-in, but there were no rooms ready yet.
It was 1:30 by now. I asked if there was a secure place to leave my bag, but all they had was a closet in the corner of the lobby where you could leave stuff, at your own risk. There was another couple waiting who had been there since noon and I found out later that another woman (who, upon booking, had been promised an early check-in because she was travelling with her invalid mother) had been waiting since 11!
Gradually, the lobby started to fill with guests waiting for their rooms. About every half hour we checked to see if we could get our keys and the desk clerks would go through the motions of punching in the requests into their computers, only to be told no rooms were ready yet. Magically, at 3 oclock on the dot, we were called to the desk to get our room assignments and keys. The CI backs onto the I 4 and at first I was given a room facing the highway. I asked if I could have a room facing the parking lot in case there was any road noise and was given another room right away. Seems there were rooms if you wanted to switch now available, too!
(Note: We have stayed at the CI a few times now, but usually arrive around check-in time so was unaware of the problem of an early arrival. The rooms are okay, clean, and come with a frig, microwave, coffee maker and hair dryer. [btw, the Days Inn had a hair dryer.] There is no free continental breakfast, but they have a decent buffet breakfast for $5.99 for adults and there is also a dinner menu which we havent tried. There is a convenience store for snacks and a gift shop. The hotel offers a free shuttle to Disney but you have to pay for the other themeparks. There is an outdoor pool and laundry facilities but since weve only stayed one night at a time, havent used either yet. Dh and I have walked over to DTD before and really, if you dont have luggage to carry, its not a bad walk in the evening, at all.)
Because I had lost a good part of the day in switching hotels, I wished that I had cancelled the CI and added another night onto the ASSp reservation. I guess I was trying to be economical, especially since I had added bus fare and extra nights into the mix. Oh well, you learn from your mistakes.
While I had been sitting in the lobby waiting for my room, some pretty ominous clouds had formed overhead so even if I did want to walk back over to DTD, I figured it wouldnt be long before it started to rain. And rain it did, with loud claps of thunder! Well, if Dh was in Orlando already and on a golf course somewhere, I expected that it wouldnt be long before he arrived at the hotel. Sure enough, after a while, I saw the car pull up to the Security Booth and then drive over to the lobby. It wasnt long before I saw him drive over to my building and park. I stepped out onto the outside corridor (I was on the 4th floor) and called down to him. Boy, was he surprised and when he came up to the room was he SOAKED! Yes, he had been on a golf course!
I called the boys to tell them that Dad had arrived and found out that my mother had just called them, too. Everything was okay back there and I felt relieved that everything was on track.
We were both starving, so after bringing the bags up and Dh getting dried off, we went with our usual plan upon arrival at the CI and headed over to the Orlando Premium Outlet Mall for a bite to eat in the food court and a Starbucks coffee for Dh and Tazo Chai with soy (YUM!) for me. Afterwards we headed over to the Character Warehouse and I found a Dixie Landings pin for $2.99. We stayed at DXL for our first two on-site trips and loved it there, so it was great to find the pin! Since it was Sunday night, the mall closed early at 9, so after running into as many shops as we could, we finally headed back to the hotel. Next morning we would be heading over to ASSp and I could hardly wait!
After packing up, I went down to the Days Inns little breakfast café for a fried egg sandwich (they offered a couple of breakfast selections), then checked out and went to wait for the Lynx bus and again make my way down to the TTC at Disney. It was about 11 oclock by this time.
When I arrived, I walked over to the Polynesian Resort to wait for the Downtown Disney bus. Once at DTD, I began my hike over to the Comfort Inn LBV on Palm Parkway. Its about a 5 minute drive by car. Keep in mind that my carry-on bag now contained my jeans, a sweatshirt and a jacket that I had worn down to Orlando, along with the extra clothes I had decided I needed when I wasnt sure when Dh would be arriving. It was pretty stuffed and getting heavier by the minute. (I had repaired the broken buckle on the strap with one shoelace and reinforced the other buckle with the second shoelace.) I also had a small backpack and a good size fanny-pack, so I must have looked a sight trudging down the street.
It was hot and I was dying to stop, but I was afraid if I did, I wouldnt be able to get going again. Constantly switching my carry-on bag from shoulder to shoulder, I imagined that I was in a marathon so I wouldnt allow myself to succumb to the pain in my shoulders. Managing to keep up a fairly brisk pace, the walk took me about a half hour and one thing I discovered was that I am still a pretty strong ol gal, if I put my mind to it!
I figured that once I got checked in, rested a bit, I could head back to DTD for some lunch and plan all my souvenir purchases for over the rest of the week, while waiting for Dh to arrive. But that was not to be. I was able to check-in, but there were no rooms ready yet.
It was 1:30 by now. I asked if there was a secure place to leave my bag, but all they had was a closet in the corner of the lobby where you could leave stuff, at your own risk. There was another couple waiting who had been there since noon and I found out later that another woman (who, upon booking, had been promised an early check-in because she was travelling with her invalid mother) had been waiting since 11!
Gradually, the lobby started to fill with guests waiting for their rooms. About every half hour we checked to see if we could get our keys and the desk clerks would go through the motions of punching in the requests into their computers, only to be told no rooms were ready yet. Magically, at 3 oclock on the dot, we were called to the desk to get our room assignments and keys. The CI backs onto the I 4 and at first I was given a room facing the highway. I asked if I could have a room facing the parking lot in case there was any road noise and was given another room right away. Seems there were rooms if you wanted to switch now available, too!
(Note: We have stayed at the CI a few times now, but usually arrive around check-in time so was unaware of the problem of an early arrival. The rooms are okay, clean, and come with a frig, microwave, coffee maker and hair dryer. [btw, the Days Inn had a hair dryer.] There is no free continental breakfast, but they have a decent buffet breakfast for $5.99 for adults and there is also a dinner menu which we havent tried. There is a convenience store for snacks and a gift shop. The hotel offers a free shuttle to Disney but you have to pay for the other themeparks. There is an outdoor pool and laundry facilities but since weve only stayed one night at a time, havent used either yet. Dh and I have walked over to DTD before and really, if you dont have luggage to carry, its not a bad walk in the evening, at all.)
Because I had lost a good part of the day in switching hotels, I wished that I had cancelled the CI and added another night onto the ASSp reservation. I guess I was trying to be economical, especially since I had added bus fare and extra nights into the mix. Oh well, you learn from your mistakes.
While I had been sitting in the lobby waiting for my room, some pretty ominous clouds had formed overhead so even if I did want to walk back over to DTD, I figured it wouldnt be long before it started to rain. And rain it did, with loud claps of thunder! Well, if Dh was in Orlando already and on a golf course somewhere, I expected that it wouldnt be long before he arrived at the hotel. Sure enough, after a while, I saw the car pull up to the Security Booth and then drive over to the lobby. It wasnt long before I saw him drive over to my building and park. I stepped out onto the outside corridor (I was on the 4th floor) and called down to him. Boy, was he surprised and when he came up to the room was he SOAKED! Yes, he had been on a golf course!
I called the boys to tell them that Dad had arrived and found out that my mother had just called them, too. Everything was okay back there and I felt relieved that everything was on track.
We were both starving, so after bringing the bags up and Dh getting dried off, we went with our usual plan upon arrival at the CI and headed over to the Orlando Premium Outlet Mall for a bite to eat in the food court and a Starbucks coffee for Dh and Tazo Chai with soy (YUM!) for me. Afterwards we headed over to the Character Warehouse and I found a Dixie Landings pin for $2.99. We stayed at DXL for our first two on-site trips and loved it there, so it was great to find the pin! Since it was Sunday night, the mall closed early at 9, so after running into as many shops as we could, we finally headed back to the hotel. Next morning we would be heading over to ASSp and I could hardly wait!
Thanks for reading, everyone! 
