tweetylori
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2004
- Messages
- 772
Orlando Trip 7/17/04-7/25/04
Cast of Characters:
Me: Travel Researcher/Planner 44
DH: Bearer of Free Passes 43
DS: 15, will be 16 in one month huge game addict, very competitive
DSS: 13, Stepson has never been to Orlando before
DAY 1 Off to a rocky start GROSS PEOPLE
We left Raleigh, NC early Saturday morning. The night before, I had brought home two large Ledos pizza for us to eat while we packed. I took the leftovers and wrapped them into four packs, so wed each have breakfast whenever we wanted it on the road. We made pretty good time, arriving at our hotel around 6:30pm. We were staying at Springhill Suites in the Marriott Village on Vineland Road. Excellent location, about a mile from Downtown Disney, one exit from SeaWorld, one exit from Epcot. The Marriott Village has three hotels in it, A Courtyard by Marriott, A Fairfield Inn, and our all-suite hotel, which we wanted for the pull-out couch, so the teen boys could each have their own bed. The room had a refrigerator,microwave and two tvs. It was $89 a night. We couldve saved $10 a night if we had pre-paid it over twenty days in advance.
So, we start to check in with Alberto helping us. Our first mistake. Alberto was not capable of handling someone checking in, despite the fact that he worked the front counter. You would think he was still in training, but my husband remembers him being there from the time we stayed there before, a year-and-a half before this. So WARNING do NOT let Alberto attempt to check you in. He cant make room keys, he cant find empty rooms, and he sure as heck cant run a credit card. Fortunately, a nice young lady came out to assist him, as we were getting impatient and frustrated. Finally got our room 3244. Up to the second floor we go, following a family thats right in front of us. Gee, they must be right next to us wait! They just opened the door to our room! Hey thats our room! Were just getting ready to check out, the sweaty father says. Downstairs we go, lugging our luggage, and head straight to the young lady that had done Albertos job for him. Uh, there is a family in our room, I said. She looks confused, and starts typing frantically on her computer. Types more. And more. Hmmmm .thats impossible, she says. This clearly says that the room is ready. Well, there sure are people in there. There cant be, she says. Were all so ready to drop our luggage and go to dinner and get this vacation started, and really dont feel like arguing with this young girl and her computer. About that time, the sweaty father shows up and hands her his room keys. And mumbles something to us about having just got back from a basketball game. In other words they were supposed to have checked out, but kept their room keys, and had the NERVE to leave their stuff in the room, and come back to get it! What audacity! I said to her, I sure hope you charge them an extra day for this, and she said something about how she didnt know who they were, because the computer had our name down in that room. And the computer knows all. Shes got us pretty convinced at this point that this room is the only decent prospect we have, because the only other room thats ready is WAYYYYYYYYYY on the far end of the hotel. So, we say, fine well drop our luggage, and they can finish cleaning the room, and well go out to dinner. So back to 3244 we go, open the door, and instantly were hit with the smell of rancid popcorn mixed with sweat, and other things that we dont care to analyze. Theres tons of trash in the room, and the kicker? They hadnt even flushed the toilet! By now I can visibly SEE my husbands blood pressure going up, and he says hes going to go have a talk with them. I convince him to let me handle it, and rush down to have another chat with the young lady. I walked up to her and said, My husband is VERY upset, and I told him Id talk to you about this, but the room is disgusting. I know its not your fault that these people were despicable, but we really cant tolerate that room. I gave her the gross details, and she starts apologizing and typing, apologizing and typing. Finally comes up with another room thats ready, three floors up. But its WAYYYYYYY in the back. Fine! We dont care. As long as its clean and ready. Meanwhile, the guys have come down and I gave them the good news. Relief. And now a miracle occurs! From all that typing, a ready room on the same floor is FOUND! It is still WAYYYYYYYY in the back, but this one is even pool-view, instead of parking-lot view that 3244 was. So, back up we go, grab our bags out of the smelly-icky room, and start the long trek to our new room. Geez. It wasnt far at all! This girl should stay in a Vegas hotel sometime, when away really means it! So me and my relieved guys drop everything and head back to the car for the short drive to Downtown Disney. We are headed to the Rainforest Café, since we had recently purchased their members card, that would get us first available seating. Downtown Disney was very packed. It was prime time on a Saturday night, and we waited in a long line to present our card, only to find out we were supposed to go right to the elephant. Stupid us! Wait in another long line, present our card, and are told that itll be a 30 minute wait. He scribbled out the 160 minute wait that it wouldve been without the card. Feeling pleased with ourselves, we headed to the Disney art store nearby, and admired the fine pieces in there. We also enjoyed the home store thats across from the Rainforest Café, and decided to go back and make some purchases after dinner. We already had some of the Mickey wineglasses, and I wanted more. We go back to Rainforest and wait and wait. We wait 15 minutes after our half hour time, and I go up to check on our status. After much searching on yet another computer, Im told that itll be just a few more minutes. Sure enough, within five minutes were called to go wait in the gorilla room line. Were thinking were about to be seated but no! not yet! Were led inside to another line to wait for our seating in the gorilla room. Fortunately, that didnt take too long. Starving by this point, we quickly order our free appetizer that the card gets us Big BluCrab Dip. (wouldve been 8.99), and drinks. DS and I decide to share a couple entrees Rasta Pasta and a burger with fries, and DH and DSS decide to share a Turkey Wrap and Planet E Pasta. Burger was very tasty and we finished it all, but barely made a dent in the pasta, so we took it back to the room (never finished it though how shameful of us!) DH and DSS had NO problem polishing off their meals. We were all pleased with our dinner, and very glad we had that magical card (that ended up helping us again, later in the trip). We also had received a $10 off coupon with the card, so we used that. The bill was 82.41 before the discounts. They took off the $10 and the appetizer, and the total was $67.67. That included two glasses of wine and three soft drinks. Soft drinks, by the way, are a bit pricey here $2.49 a piece, but my guys drink enough to make it very affordable!
After dinner, we waddled over to the Home store to make our purchases, and went back to the hotel to turn in fairly early, as we were getting up and doing Universal and Islands of Adventure the next day.
Cast of Characters:
Me: Travel Researcher/Planner 44
DH: Bearer of Free Passes 43
DS: 15, will be 16 in one month huge game addict, very competitive
DSS: 13, Stepson has never been to Orlando before
DAY 1 Off to a rocky start GROSS PEOPLE
We left Raleigh, NC early Saturday morning. The night before, I had brought home two large Ledos pizza for us to eat while we packed. I took the leftovers and wrapped them into four packs, so wed each have breakfast whenever we wanted it on the road. We made pretty good time, arriving at our hotel around 6:30pm. We were staying at Springhill Suites in the Marriott Village on Vineland Road. Excellent location, about a mile from Downtown Disney, one exit from SeaWorld, one exit from Epcot. The Marriott Village has three hotels in it, A Courtyard by Marriott, A Fairfield Inn, and our all-suite hotel, which we wanted for the pull-out couch, so the teen boys could each have their own bed. The room had a refrigerator,microwave and two tvs. It was $89 a night. We couldve saved $10 a night if we had pre-paid it over twenty days in advance.
So, we start to check in with Alberto helping us. Our first mistake. Alberto was not capable of handling someone checking in, despite the fact that he worked the front counter. You would think he was still in training, but my husband remembers him being there from the time we stayed there before, a year-and-a half before this. So WARNING do NOT let Alberto attempt to check you in. He cant make room keys, he cant find empty rooms, and he sure as heck cant run a credit card. Fortunately, a nice young lady came out to assist him, as we were getting impatient and frustrated. Finally got our room 3244. Up to the second floor we go, following a family thats right in front of us. Gee, they must be right next to us wait! They just opened the door to our room! Hey thats our room! Were just getting ready to check out, the sweaty father says. Downstairs we go, lugging our luggage, and head straight to the young lady that had done Albertos job for him. Uh, there is a family in our room, I said. She looks confused, and starts typing frantically on her computer. Types more. And more. Hmmmm .thats impossible, she says. This clearly says that the room is ready. Well, there sure are people in there. There cant be, she says. Were all so ready to drop our luggage and go to dinner and get this vacation started, and really dont feel like arguing with this young girl and her computer. About that time, the sweaty father shows up and hands her his room keys. And mumbles something to us about having just got back from a basketball game. In other words they were supposed to have checked out, but kept their room keys, and had the NERVE to leave their stuff in the room, and come back to get it! What audacity! I said to her, I sure hope you charge them an extra day for this, and she said something about how she didnt know who they were, because the computer had our name down in that room. And the computer knows all. Shes got us pretty convinced at this point that this room is the only decent prospect we have, because the only other room thats ready is WAYYYYYYYYYY on the far end of the hotel. So, we say, fine well drop our luggage, and they can finish cleaning the room, and well go out to dinner. So back to 3244 we go, open the door, and instantly were hit with the smell of rancid popcorn mixed with sweat, and other things that we dont care to analyze. Theres tons of trash in the room, and the kicker? They hadnt even flushed the toilet! By now I can visibly SEE my husbands blood pressure going up, and he says hes going to go have a talk with them. I convince him to let me handle it, and rush down to have another chat with the young lady. I walked up to her and said, My husband is VERY upset, and I told him Id talk to you about this, but the room is disgusting. I know its not your fault that these people were despicable, but we really cant tolerate that room. I gave her the gross details, and she starts apologizing and typing, apologizing and typing. Finally comes up with another room thats ready, three floors up. But its WAYYYYYYY in the back. Fine! We dont care. As long as its clean and ready. Meanwhile, the guys have come down and I gave them the good news. Relief. And now a miracle occurs! From all that typing, a ready room on the same floor is FOUND! It is still WAYYYYYYYY in the back, but this one is even pool-view, instead of parking-lot view that 3244 was. So, back up we go, grab our bags out of the smelly-icky room, and start the long trek to our new room. Geez. It wasnt far at all! This girl should stay in a Vegas hotel sometime, when away really means it! So me and my relieved guys drop everything and head back to the car for the short drive to Downtown Disney. We are headed to the Rainforest Café, since we had recently purchased their members card, that would get us first available seating. Downtown Disney was very packed. It was prime time on a Saturday night, and we waited in a long line to present our card, only to find out we were supposed to go right to the elephant. Stupid us! Wait in another long line, present our card, and are told that itll be a 30 minute wait. He scribbled out the 160 minute wait that it wouldve been without the card. Feeling pleased with ourselves, we headed to the Disney art store nearby, and admired the fine pieces in there. We also enjoyed the home store thats across from the Rainforest Café, and decided to go back and make some purchases after dinner. We already had some of the Mickey wineglasses, and I wanted more. We go back to Rainforest and wait and wait. We wait 15 minutes after our half hour time, and I go up to check on our status. After much searching on yet another computer, Im told that itll be just a few more minutes. Sure enough, within five minutes were called to go wait in the gorilla room line. Were thinking were about to be seated but no! not yet! Were led inside to another line to wait for our seating in the gorilla room. Fortunately, that didnt take too long. Starving by this point, we quickly order our free appetizer that the card gets us Big BluCrab Dip. (wouldve been 8.99), and drinks. DS and I decide to share a couple entrees Rasta Pasta and a burger with fries, and DH and DSS decide to share a Turkey Wrap and Planet E Pasta. Burger was very tasty and we finished it all, but barely made a dent in the pasta, so we took it back to the room (never finished it though how shameful of us!) DH and DSS had NO problem polishing off their meals. We were all pleased with our dinner, and very glad we had that magical card (that ended up helping us again, later in the trip). We also had received a $10 off coupon with the card, so we used that. The bill was 82.41 before the discounts. They took off the $10 and the appetizer, and the total was $67.67. That included two glasses of wine and three soft drinks. Soft drinks, by the way, are a bit pricey here $2.49 a piece, but my guys drink enough to make it very affordable!
After dinner, we waddled over to the Home store to make our purchases, and went back to the hotel to turn in fairly early, as we were getting up and doing Universal and Islands of Adventure the next day.
