Day 1 - Wednesday - September 17, 2003
Trippers include myself (39), partner Mary (32), and sister Laura (41)
It is Wednesday 9/17 3:30 in the morning and we're all up doing our last minute preparations and writing notes to the pet sitter. We're set to fly out of Vermont at 6:15 and then after a short stop in DC, be down in Orlando by 11. This was not our original planned departure. We had planned on flying out at a civilized hour on 9/18 but Hurricane Isabel was due to make landfall on that day.
We had been watching the hurricane closely on Tuesday and knew that some airlines were offering a waiver on the $100 change fee so I called United and was told that they were only offering waivers for North Carolina and Virginia but they expected to be offering more Northern points later that afternoon. I called back later that afternoon and this time was told that they had no idea when or if a waiver for DC would be issued. The agent advised that I ... call back later (of course).
By this time the e-mails were flying fast and furious. We were working ourselves up into a fairly decent pre-vacation frenzy. "What if they won't waive the change fee?" "What if we can't get out early and are delayed by a day or two?"
Finally around 4pm, Mary took a turn at calling United and got connected to a sympathetic agent who after consulting with his supervisor decided to offer us the waiver if in return we agree to go on the 6:15 am flight. Apparently a lot of other people were trying to change flights because the agent mentioned something about his supervisor offering us the waiver to get us out of his hair.
I then made a call to the Royal Pacific to see if we could check in a day early and still get the Entertainment rate (quoted at $110 + $25 for the extra person). The woman I spoke with said that she didn't have the authority to make a reservation at this late date or the authority to offer the Entertainment rate. She asked for my phone number and e-mail address and promised to get back to me as soon as her supervisor was available. Yeah, you guessed it -- never heard from her. So I called again later that evening and spoke with another woman obviously higher up in the food chain who made the reservation for me at the Entertainment rate in a matter of seconds. Boom, done, what else can we help you with?
It was much the same with Happy Limo - no problems at all getting a pick up a day earlier.
Which brings us back to our 6:15 flight down to Orlando. Maybe it was the early hour, or maybe it was the fact that I had my nose stuck in a book the whole way down (a superstitious practice: reading = not crashing) but I can't recall anything about the flight. I remember driving to the airport in Vermont and then being greeted by George the Happy Limo driver. This could mean that the flight was uneventful or that I crashed and like a dutiful spirit went ahead with the vacation and then returned to work today as scheduled.
Let's assume the former.
George the Happy Limo driver was professional, friendly, and gracious. He dropped us off at a grocery store on the way to the Royal Pacific Resort so we could stock up on drinks and snacks. I would recommend this to anyone as the hotel lacks vending machines and the drinks can be quite pricey in the bars and restaurants. Remember to pick up a cheap foam cooler - our room didn't have a refrigerator.
George dropped us off and I signed for the $99 charge (includes a $10 each way tip), A bellboy (sorry, didn't get your name) greeted us "Welcome to the Island(s?)" (Huh?) and quickly helped us load our booty onto a luggage cart and directed us to the check-in. I had previously registered as a Loews club member so I found that check-in line and stood up by the counter even though there was no person actually manning the desk. I figured if the line was open, then there must be someone to deal with people who use that line. Right? Nope. After a few minutes, we were waived over by Mikel who again welcomed us to the Island(s?) and to one of the regular check- in positions.
It was still pretty early and Mikel informed us that our room was not yet ready. But after the exchange of a few cards - the card that the deposit was made under, the card that we were using to pay the rest of the bill, and the Entertainment card - he found us another room. A few questions linger here. He kept calling it a VCR room when discussing the availability with another employee. We have no idea what this meant. I was expecting to find an actual VCR in the room but didn't - perhaps it was in the locked center section of the bureaus? We had booked a standard room at the rate of $135 per night. The rate Mikel offered was $125 per night and it was a pool view room. Maybe the Loews club had something to do with this?
So we finished with Mikel and were put in the hands of Aaron who was to take us up to our room. But at the last minute, Mikel called me back and had me fill out a preference form for Loews club members. I chose fresh fruit and water and USA today as the newspaper. This, of course, was a waste of paper and ink as we never saw the fruit and water despite calling down and leaving a message with the concierge (no one was answering). And it looked to me that the common practice of delivering complimentary papers to everyone in residence was in force at the Royal Pacific.
We were in room 3434 - tower 3, floor 4, room 34. This room has an excellent view of the pool and the park - you can see Dr Doom and parts of the Hulk. And it was also very close to the stairs leading down to the path to the CityWalk ferry. But this meant that we were also farthest away from the elevators and the main lobby.
The room itself was nothing special - 2 queen beds, a small round table with 2 small chairs, a small sitting chair, a bureau with 6 drawers and a mysterious middle section. The rug was a little worn and stained in spots, some of the towels were stained, and the shower tiles had minimal mildew staining. On the upside, the curtains, furniture, bedding, and fixtures were all well appointed and in good working order. The room also had a large closet with an ironing board and iron, a separate sink area with a blowdryer and makeup mirror, a self programmable safe, and a nice large unobstructed window overlooking the pool.
And so we yielded to the call of the pool and quickly changed into swimsuits and sandals and headed for the Bula Bar to get some lunch. We grabbed a table near the pool table in the back area of the bar and quickly learned two things. One - don't sit near the speakers that are hidden away in the tropical foliage. For some reason the "Island(s?)" belted out loud rock and roll music from the moment the pool opened until it closed at night. And Two - the area of service for the Bula bar is indistinct. There are tables and chairs scattered all around the very large pool area with your chances of seeing a waiter or waitress diminishing the farther away you get.
2 burgers + 1 chicken quesadilla + 3 iced teas = $43 with tax and tip. Followed by gratuitous swimming and lounging until it was time to shower and change for dinner.
We caught the boat to CityWalk and were treated to the first of many playings of the song "Celebration". Ok, so the song itself is supposed to be an innocuous little pop ditty, but add an impromptu commercial for CityWalk by the captain himself followed by forced clapping along to the music and you can see how it could get a little irritating. We found out later that every trip on the boat from the Royal Pacific to CityWalk included that same song. So every time I mention that we're on the boat to CityWalk, just hum to yourself "Celebration, we're gonna celebrate and have a good time..."
Mary wanted to try the little take out booth in the Latin quarter for dinner so we trekked up there and took a look at the menu. Well the menu was about as limited as the seating. I think they had about 6 offerings and 3 dismal little tables - 2 of which were already taken. So we walked on. Laura remembered that there was big flashing sign above NBA city advertising no waits so we walked over there and noticed on the way in that the sign had changed. We checked in with the host and were told 20 minutes, I flashed my RPR card and asked about priority seating. He said that it would be halved and we'd have a 10 minute wait. Right. 25 minutes later we got seated and noticed two things - the whole upstairs was closed and the downstairs still had quite a few tables open. Go figure.
1 chicken club + 1 mahi mahi sandwich + 1 Shanghai chicken salad + 2 really big daiquiris + 1 really big pina colada = $64 with tax and tip. The food was very good, the service after being seating was very good, and the whole NBA theming once inside the restaurant is not as" basketball courtish" as I had envisioned. Ignore the thundering rock music at the entrance, it gets better once seating.
After dinner, we went over to the little stand over by Margaritaville to get drinks to take back to the hotel. We didn't get very far before being stopped by a burly security guard standing at the path back to RPR. Turns out you can't leave CityWalk with your drinks. This seemed silly to me so I made sure that the guard knew we were only walking back to the RPR. He mumbled something about the liquor laws and so I knew I was done. Anytime someone starts citing liquor laws, just nod and know you're done. So we sat on the chairs outside of Margaritaville and finished our drinks. Laura suggested that we'd probably come out victorious in a footrace down the path judging by the perceived fitness of the guard but we were too tired and timid to see if she was right.
Back at the hotel, we went exploring to see what else was there besides the pool. We walked past the restaurants, the little putting green, and the site of the luau (hopefully this gets a little more atmospheric when the actual luau is in process because to me it looked like a bunch of long tables set very close to each other in the middle of a concrete patio). We then went inside the lobby building and found the lounge, the store, the ATM (it's by the concierge), and the little pool with the elephants that is in the middle of the lobby but is actually outside.
Then finally to bed with visions of IOA dancing in our heads.
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=443696">Day 1</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=444145">Day 2</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=445560">Day 3</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=446091">Day 4</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=446592">Day 5</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=447105">Day 6 & 7</a>
Trippers include myself (39), partner Mary (32), and sister Laura (41)
It is Wednesday 9/17 3:30 in the morning and we're all up doing our last minute preparations and writing notes to the pet sitter. We're set to fly out of Vermont at 6:15 and then after a short stop in DC, be down in Orlando by 11. This was not our original planned departure. We had planned on flying out at a civilized hour on 9/18 but Hurricane Isabel was due to make landfall on that day.
We had been watching the hurricane closely on Tuesday and knew that some airlines were offering a waiver on the $100 change fee so I called United and was told that they were only offering waivers for North Carolina and Virginia but they expected to be offering more Northern points later that afternoon. I called back later that afternoon and this time was told that they had no idea when or if a waiver for DC would be issued. The agent advised that I ... call back later (of course).
By this time the e-mails were flying fast and furious. We were working ourselves up into a fairly decent pre-vacation frenzy. "What if they won't waive the change fee?" "What if we can't get out early and are delayed by a day or two?"
Finally around 4pm, Mary took a turn at calling United and got connected to a sympathetic agent who after consulting with his supervisor decided to offer us the waiver if in return we agree to go on the 6:15 am flight. Apparently a lot of other people were trying to change flights because the agent mentioned something about his supervisor offering us the waiver to get us out of his hair.
I then made a call to the Royal Pacific to see if we could check in a day early and still get the Entertainment rate (quoted at $110 + $25 for the extra person). The woman I spoke with said that she didn't have the authority to make a reservation at this late date or the authority to offer the Entertainment rate. She asked for my phone number and e-mail address and promised to get back to me as soon as her supervisor was available. Yeah, you guessed it -- never heard from her. So I called again later that evening and spoke with another woman obviously higher up in the food chain who made the reservation for me at the Entertainment rate in a matter of seconds. Boom, done, what else can we help you with?
It was much the same with Happy Limo - no problems at all getting a pick up a day earlier.
Which brings us back to our 6:15 flight down to Orlando. Maybe it was the early hour, or maybe it was the fact that I had my nose stuck in a book the whole way down (a superstitious practice: reading = not crashing) but I can't recall anything about the flight. I remember driving to the airport in Vermont and then being greeted by George the Happy Limo driver. This could mean that the flight was uneventful or that I crashed and like a dutiful spirit went ahead with the vacation and then returned to work today as scheduled.
Let's assume the former.
George the Happy Limo driver was professional, friendly, and gracious. He dropped us off at a grocery store on the way to the Royal Pacific Resort so we could stock up on drinks and snacks. I would recommend this to anyone as the hotel lacks vending machines and the drinks can be quite pricey in the bars and restaurants. Remember to pick up a cheap foam cooler - our room didn't have a refrigerator.
George dropped us off and I signed for the $99 charge (includes a $10 each way tip), A bellboy (sorry, didn't get your name) greeted us "Welcome to the Island(s?)" (Huh?) and quickly helped us load our booty onto a luggage cart and directed us to the check-in. I had previously registered as a Loews club member so I found that check-in line and stood up by the counter even though there was no person actually manning the desk. I figured if the line was open, then there must be someone to deal with people who use that line. Right? Nope. After a few minutes, we were waived over by Mikel who again welcomed us to the Island(s?) and to one of the regular check- in positions.
It was still pretty early and Mikel informed us that our room was not yet ready. But after the exchange of a few cards - the card that the deposit was made under, the card that we were using to pay the rest of the bill, and the Entertainment card - he found us another room. A few questions linger here. He kept calling it a VCR room when discussing the availability with another employee. We have no idea what this meant. I was expecting to find an actual VCR in the room but didn't - perhaps it was in the locked center section of the bureaus? We had booked a standard room at the rate of $135 per night. The rate Mikel offered was $125 per night and it was a pool view room. Maybe the Loews club had something to do with this?
So we finished with Mikel and were put in the hands of Aaron who was to take us up to our room. But at the last minute, Mikel called me back and had me fill out a preference form for Loews club members. I chose fresh fruit and water and USA today as the newspaper. This, of course, was a waste of paper and ink as we never saw the fruit and water despite calling down and leaving a message with the concierge (no one was answering). And it looked to me that the common practice of delivering complimentary papers to everyone in residence was in force at the Royal Pacific.
We were in room 3434 - tower 3, floor 4, room 34. This room has an excellent view of the pool and the park - you can see Dr Doom and parts of the Hulk. And it was also very close to the stairs leading down to the path to the CityWalk ferry. But this meant that we were also farthest away from the elevators and the main lobby.
The room itself was nothing special - 2 queen beds, a small round table with 2 small chairs, a small sitting chair, a bureau with 6 drawers and a mysterious middle section. The rug was a little worn and stained in spots, some of the towels were stained, and the shower tiles had minimal mildew staining. On the upside, the curtains, furniture, bedding, and fixtures were all well appointed and in good working order. The room also had a large closet with an ironing board and iron, a separate sink area with a blowdryer and makeup mirror, a self programmable safe, and a nice large unobstructed window overlooking the pool.
And so we yielded to the call of the pool and quickly changed into swimsuits and sandals and headed for the Bula Bar to get some lunch. We grabbed a table near the pool table in the back area of the bar and quickly learned two things. One - don't sit near the speakers that are hidden away in the tropical foliage. For some reason the "Island(s?)" belted out loud rock and roll music from the moment the pool opened until it closed at night. And Two - the area of service for the Bula bar is indistinct. There are tables and chairs scattered all around the very large pool area with your chances of seeing a waiter or waitress diminishing the farther away you get.
2 burgers + 1 chicken quesadilla + 3 iced teas = $43 with tax and tip. Followed by gratuitous swimming and lounging until it was time to shower and change for dinner.
We caught the boat to CityWalk and were treated to the first of many playings of the song "Celebration". Ok, so the song itself is supposed to be an innocuous little pop ditty, but add an impromptu commercial for CityWalk by the captain himself followed by forced clapping along to the music and you can see how it could get a little irritating. We found out later that every trip on the boat from the Royal Pacific to CityWalk included that same song. So every time I mention that we're on the boat to CityWalk, just hum to yourself "Celebration, we're gonna celebrate and have a good time..."
Mary wanted to try the little take out booth in the Latin quarter for dinner so we trekked up there and took a look at the menu. Well the menu was about as limited as the seating. I think they had about 6 offerings and 3 dismal little tables - 2 of which were already taken. So we walked on. Laura remembered that there was big flashing sign above NBA city advertising no waits so we walked over there and noticed on the way in that the sign had changed. We checked in with the host and were told 20 minutes, I flashed my RPR card and asked about priority seating. He said that it would be halved and we'd have a 10 minute wait. Right. 25 minutes later we got seated and noticed two things - the whole upstairs was closed and the downstairs still had quite a few tables open. Go figure.
1 chicken club + 1 mahi mahi sandwich + 1 Shanghai chicken salad + 2 really big daiquiris + 1 really big pina colada = $64 with tax and tip. The food was very good, the service after being seating was very good, and the whole NBA theming once inside the restaurant is not as" basketball courtish" as I had envisioned. Ignore the thundering rock music at the entrance, it gets better once seating.
After dinner, we went over to the little stand over by Margaritaville to get drinks to take back to the hotel. We didn't get very far before being stopped by a burly security guard standing at the path back to RPR. Turns out you can't leave CityWalk with your drinks. This seemed silly to me so I made sure that the guard knew we were only walking back to the RPR. He mumbled something about the liquor laws and so I knew I was done. Anytime someone starts citing liquor laws, just nod and know you're done. So we sat on the chairs outside of Margaritaville and finished our drinks. Laura suggested that we'd probably come out victorious in a footrace down the path judging by the perceived fitness of the guard but we were too tired and timid to see if she was right.
Back at the hotel, we went exploring to see what else was there besides the pool. We walked past the restaurants, the little putting green, and the site of the luau (hopefully this gets a little more atmospheric when the actual luau is in process because to me it looked like a bunch of long tables set very close to each other in the middle of a concrete patio). We then went inside the lobby building and found the lounge, the store, the ATM (it's by the concierge), and the little pool with the elephants that is in the middle of the lobby but is actually outside.
Then finally to bed with visions of IOA dancing in our heads.
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=443696">Day 1</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=444145">Day 2</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=445560">Day 3</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=446091">Day 4</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=446592">Day 5</a><br>
<a href = "http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=447105">Day 6 & 7</a>
