Meets...esp DVC

[MaryAnnDVC]

Are there specific meets planned yet? Are they listed somewhere with a signup? Nothing seems to be listed in the usual DIS Meets section of the site.

We're not taking part in the DIS CON, but will be there during that time. I thought I read something about a DVC meet somewhere, but can't find it now.

 

[disneycub]

Keep watching this space. I believe that Linda said she was working on a listing of all the mini-meets that will be taking place throughout the convention. When she's finished, I'm sure she'll post it on this board.

 

[luvdsny]

Hi MaryAnnDVC

Here is the last we heard about a DVC meet Click Here And it looks like they still need a 'host' for this mini meet. Perhaps you'd be interested. If so, you can contact Linda at her DreamsUnlimitedTravel addy.

Hope this helps. I'm glad you plan on joining us.

Tia

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Thanks for the link. Short thread that was, huh? Nobody jumping in to eagerly host it...

I never hosted a meet. I'd really have to think about that one...

I almost went to one once, but ended up watching from another table...long, pathetic story.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

You know...the more I think about it, the more I may be willing to host it.

Are there any kind of guidelines/ideas/help for the desperate???

 

[luvdsny]

ROFLOL MaryAnnDVC, you are cracking me up!

I have hosted/co-hosted 2 Boise DIS Meets now, I can honestly say.....it's FUN!!!

I will be hosting the Fantasyland Meet and I have no idea what that means! I'm pretty sure it only means that you have to show up! Oh and smile and say hello to other DIS'ers....then the meet just takes on a life of it's own.....really! It does!

I think you should take the bull by the horns and e-mail Mac-kay Mouse or Linda and say you'll do it. You might have to come up with times and places to meet...but I'm sure they (the powers to be) will be happy to assist you.

You could ask someone to co-host it with you.....I think LaurenK is co-hosting our MVMCP meet on Sunday night.....that is helpful.

Go-Go-Go!!!

BTW, I would really like to hear how you observed a DIS meet from a different table.....sounds like a 'classic'

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

luvdsny, you asked for it! I dug up my Sad Saga of the New England DIS Meet, and here it is. I had posted it on the DIS the next day, and I wish I had printed out the replies...some were pretty amusing, if not pitying!...all were sympathetic. Anyway, having re-read it (hadn't read it in a very long time!), the thought of GOING to a DIS meet puts a knot in my stomach, never mind HOSTING one! I'm not so sure I'm...ahem..."qualified."

The Sad Saga of the New England DIS Meet

Today (3/19/00) I went to a DIS Meet…sort of. I was there, but didn’t meet anyone. I saw them, but they didn’t see me. I became the ultimate “DIS Lurker”—lurking in person!

Let me start at the beginning.

Somewhere around mid-February, there was a post on the Community Board that there was going to be a DIS Meet—or, a pin-trading meet—in Natick, MA, this weekend, and inviting anyone who could make it to come along, even if not a poster or a collector on the “Collector’s Board”. I posted that I would like to go, and “Gloria” (the name on her e-mail to me—don’t remember her DIS name) e-mailed me, welcoming me and telling me to e-mail her my real name and to also sign up on the DIS Meets Page.

I e-mailed Gloria with my name, but couldn’t get into the ‘sign-up’ on the DIS Meets Page! (Still can’t! I also can’t get into the list of “who’s going”! )

I somehow got it in my head that the meet was yesterday—3/18—and I couldn’t even consider going, with all the kids’ activities—3 sports games, a birthday party, and a friend sleeping over last night. So today I checked in on the Collector’s Board to see what anyone had to say about the meet, and I see a post by Kathie of Johnston, RI (the next town from me!!) saying that the meet is TODAY!! I changed my plans with mom and my kids (I invited us to her house for dinner tomorrow night instead ) and announce to my DH that I’m going to Natick! This is all happening at around noontime, and the meet is scheduled for 2:30 PM.

Shower, get ready, dig out my autograph book that I made for our last WDW trip, and the picture of all of us at Blizzard Beach, and sign on to Mapquest.com—which I have used successfully for numerous ventures in the last couple of years—to get directions. I didn’t look at a map, since I had these trusty Mapquest directions. Printed out my directions, and off I go, at 1:15 PM (the directions say it takes about 1 hr 13 minutes, so the timing was ‘perfect’).

Well, I ended up in Boston! Panic-stricken! I rarely go to Boston, and when I do, I’m never alone (and I’ve always gotten lost). I called my husband to ask him if he knew if Natick was near Boston—not a clue. Drove around, now wondering how the heck to even get home, never mind to the DIS meet.

Decided to call the DISNEY Store, and ask for directions. Called information and asked for “the Disney Store at the Natick Mall”. (Thank goodness for cell phones!) Called the Disney Store, and got a super nice CM, who luckily used to live in the area I was lost in, and she gave me play by play directions, as I drove, to get me the heck out of Boston because I wasn’t NEAR Natick! I asked if there was a DIS meet there today, and she said that they were there at that very moment, but that they were heading to the Food Court. Once I was heading out of Boston, she also said to call back as I approached Natick, and she would give me further directions. I should have…but I didn’t.

As it turns out, the directions from my trusty Mapquest say to go EAST on Rte 9, when it should have read WEST! I can’t tell you how many times I re-read the directions after that, thinking “but it can’t be wrong—I got it off the INTERNET!” So, now I needed to backtrack about 16 miles. At times in stop and go traffic.

Finally, at 3:45, I arrive at the Natick Mall so, I figure, there’s no need to call the woman back at the Disney Store. I parked in the first area I saw—near Sears, at one end—so I had no idea how big the mall was, or anything else about it.

Entered the mall through the first floor of Sears, and when I look up onto the second floor, I can see that the Food Court is there, right outside of Sears. But now I feel a little awkward arriving so late, and not knowing who was going to be there (since I couldn’t get into the list on the DIS Meet Page), and not knowing if anyone was expecting me (since I couldn’t sign up on the DIS Meet Page). Then I thought…since I want to thank that nice CM for rescuing me from my terror in Boston, I’ll go there first, and then ask her what everyone looks like, or if they’re wearing green ribbons, or whatever she can tell me. (I never saw anything else about the meet on the Community Board, and I hadn’t checked on the Collector’s Board again until today, so I was really winging it.)

FACT: The Natick Mall is BIG. I walked on the first floor, from one end—near Sears—to the other—near Filene’s. Along the way, I’m looking up to the second floor to see if the Disney Store is there. Nothing. I go upstairs, and walk BACK to Sears, just short of arriving at the Food Court, because I knew that was the end of the mall, and I still hadn’t seen the Disney Store. Along the way I asked 2 people where the Disney Store is—one shrugged, the other said “it’s in the middle of the mall, on the left.” So I head BACK towards Filene’s, but in the middle of the mall on the left is the Warner Brothers store. I’m SURE that the Disney Store is somewhere in the mall, so I continue on to Filene’s, then downstairs again, and trek BACK to Sears, where I notice an information desk.

After waiting for the person in front of me to get gift certificates, I asked if they had a Disney Store (the directory I picked up while waiting didn’t list one) and she said (cheerfully ), “no, not IN the mall, but we do have a Warner Brothers store!” I reiterated, “the Disney Store”, and she said that there is one THROUGH FILENE’S, OUTSIDE THE MALL, ACROSS THE PARKING LOT AND A ROAD!! I was sssoooo tired, and stressed out at this point that I wanted to cry! Walked BACK down to Filene’s, through the store, and outside, and there I could see it. By that point, it looked sssooo far away, but I really wanted to thank that nice CM, so I walked across the parking lot, across the street, across another parking lot and into the store.

Waited in line to talk to a CM (all busy waiting on people), and when one was free, I asked if she was the one who gave me directions. Not a clue what I was talking about. And none of the others knew either. Apparently, they think it was probably ‘Sue’ who gave them to me…and she had left.

Dragged myself BACK across the parking lot, across the street, across the other parking lot, and through Filene’s, and back towards the other end of the mall, and somewhere along the way decided “forget it!” By this point, I was 2+ hours late and feeling really stupid, and I’m still thinking that I could be greeted with blank looks from a bunch of people who have now had all this time to get to know each other!

I stopped in Garden Botanika, which is going out-of-business (the one at our mall near us closed last year, and I was thrilled to find another) and bought myself some face and hair treats. But, I was still drawn to the prospect of meeting other DISers! And I was so close! And hungry!

So, I TOOK OFF my green ribbon, and headed to the Food Court. And there they were! All sorts of very nice looking people, sitting around enjoying each other’s company. Adults and children (with Goofy hats). But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t introduce myself. It must have been 5 PM by now. And as an added deterrent, it seemed like there were couples and families…and I was alone. Got myself some food at Manchu Wok, and sat a distance away, and watched. Geez, I felt like the new kid in high school watching the clique hang out! Called my DH while I sat there and choked out the sad saga, and told him to go ahead and eat dinner without me.

I kept wanting to go and introduce myself, but I was afraid I’d cry! Really, I was so tense from getting lost in Boston alone, fighting the traffic all the way back to where I SHOULD have gone the other way, and then starting again from that point, walking up and down that mall, and on and on and on…

I kept changing my mind about doing it, all the while going from store to store, and very conscious of the green ribbon I held in my hand in my pocket.

I went to Sears, and was thrilled to find a computer desk that would be perfect for our living room, since we will soon be moving our computer up from the basement. I was so happy about that, and now feeling very upbeat, and thought—what the heck, I’ll go to the DIS meet. And then they announced that the mall would be closing in 15 minutes. So, I decided once again, why bother. And I left.

As I was driving off, I couldn’t believe it turned out that way! There I was, listening to the Tapestry of Nations CD, thinking about our last trip to DisneyWorld and how I had met other people with green ribbons, and I thought of Poohstyx and her family, and how nice they were, and how she calls my husband “Just Dave”, and I had a chuckle over that again, and that’s when it really hit me that I just missed another opportunity to meet a whole bunch of really nice people.

And so ends the saga of the DIS Meet that wasn’t…for me, anyway.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Mary Ann, I remember this story..I wish you had gotten up the courage, so what if you cried driving in Boston can be very scary, we would have hugged you and brought you right into the group.. I did see that you volunteered to host the DVC Meet, I will share this with Linda.. We have not set the mini meets in stone yet.. There is a lot of fine tuning still going on.. Thanks for the offer...

 

[Barb]

MaryAnn, just to put your mind (& stomach) at ease about hosting the DVC meet at DIS-Con, all they really need is someone there to welcome everyone. Believe me, once everyone starts rolling in, it all seems to fall into place. When I've hosted a DIS meet, all I do is watch for people to come and introduce myself. That's all it takes. I'm hosting the Tea at the GF and really have no clue what I'm to do. So, I'll do what I just said-welcome everyone, introduce myself and, if I can remember names, introduce everyone to anyone that doesn't know anyone else. Conversation comes naturally to a group of Disney fans. Our commom love of Disney makes it very easy to talk. Your group will be able to talk DVC. I think you'll do great!
*After reading your story again, I couldn't help thinking I probably would have done the same thing. I am usually alone for the meets, too. I would have felt awkward arriving so late after everyone has been there for so long already. But, you know, if you had walked up late, they would have welcomed you opened arms.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I'm getting really excited about it!!! I'd like to do something special for it, to which my DH responded..."Oh good, you're going to obsess and get all worked up." I don't know where he gets that from! I just really get into planning things. And if all it turns out to be is greeting and getting things going, that's fine too.

I told him I was going to be like the president, and that made him "the First Man"...he's thrilled. LOL

 

[Pumbaa_]

MAryAnnDVC,
This meet will definatley have a different ending! (I would have done the same thing as you, and relived it a hundred times over!!)!

Barb, Can't wait for the GF Tea! Very much looking forward to it!

 

[luvdsny]

MaryAnnDVC...I am ROFLOL...with tears pouring from my eyes....all at your expense!!! I'm so sorry.

I can't tell you how much I related to your story....I probably would have done the EXACT same thing as you! As pitiful as it is, I would have felt the same way. I have to really work up my nerve for meeting new people....and if I had experienced all that stress beforehand....NO WAY!!! I would have felt too 'razzled'

I am so sorry that you missed that meet.

But I am so happy that you have decided to host the DVC meet. I think you'll do great! How hard is it to say Hello???


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