ZZUB
Roll Tide, Mean It
- Joined
- May 9, 2003
- Messages
- 947
The Battle for My Wallet Part III: The Smell of Free Dining
Chapter One
I could just write the story of our recent vacation to Disney World. But youd feel cheated if I didnt first labor through an endless back story with all sorts of pointless trivia and meaningless references including a gratuitous nod to 9/11. I just cant do that to you. I respect you too much for that.
Four years ago, my wife and I went on the best trip of our lives. Of all our many trips to the World, the August, 2001 trip was superlative. Every trip to Disney World is a good trip; but as you know, some trips are simply better than others. For us, the August, 2001 trip was the best. I got to skipper the Jungle Cruise, a trash can struck up a conversation with us, we saw Space Mountain with the lights on, I got into the hot seat at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (which made me a mini-celebrity for the rest of the day) and we were upgraded to first class on our flight down there. Also, no one got sick and no one died. Weve had that happen on prior trips.
One of the reasons that trip is so special to us is because four years ago, we were planning our family and we decided to take one last trip as a married couple without children. We were more correct than we realized. Because this was to be our last trip without children, we decided to stay some place nicer than normal; nicer than the All Stars. I had been out of law school a little more than two years at that point and was making pretty decent money. So we planned to stay at the Grand Floridian. Back then, I didnt know about Mousesavers or Mouseplanet. Id never heard of the Dis. Any information I possessed was from my own experience going to Disney World. And, Im embarrassed to say, reading Birnbaums. Shudder. It was while reading Birnbaums that I learned Dixie Landings (as it was once called) was a good alternative to the Grand Floridian. It had all the romance, most of the charm and it was substantially less expensive. Hello. That is my kind of place.
Im economical. Not cheap.
Theres a difference.
Stop judging me.
So off to Port Orleans Riverside we headed. We immediately became enamored of the resort. We found it very romantic and very quiet. When our trip was over and we were on our way home, we were reminiscing about our vacation and all of the many magical moments we had experienced. We agreed that it was so special that we should wait awhile before we returned. There was no way any trip could favorably compare and it made sense to allow some time before we went back so as to avoid being disappointed. We also agreed that our days at the All Stars was over. Now that wed tasted the Moderate life we couldnt go back.
Three things occurred right after we returned from that trip. We found out my wife was pregnant; I started work for a new firm and 9/11 woke us up to the new normal.
Those last two things have nothing to do with anything, Im just providing context. Youd think I got paid by the word, wouldnt you? We didnt go back to Disney World again until after my daughter was a year old in June, 2003. That was her first trip to the World and because she was a huge fan of 101 Dalmatians, we reasoned that she would enjoy staying in ASMovies. We were correct; she enjoyed the Puppies more than she enjoyed anything else. We returned to Disney World in 2004 to celebrate her second birthday. She was quite enamored of Buzz and Woody at the time, so we again chose ASMovies. It bears mentioning that when my daughter was born we went from a two income to a one income family so despite our earlier ill-advised pledge to not return to the All Stars, it made good sense to stay there again. Frankly, I actually enjoy ASMovies. I dont want to live there or anything and I think three nights is the maximum amount of time I could stay there without committing a felony, but its otherwise a pretty fun place to land for a few days. Good grief, Ive now digressed from my digression.
Short story: we enjoyed both trips very much but we were ready to stay in a nicer place again.
By nicer, I mean less crowded, less overrun with screaming kids. No teenybop juice bar.
Our tenth anniversary is this year (October 21st to be precise) and we wanted to do something special for our anniversary. There was never any question that we would be going to a Disney park. The major dilemma for us was whether we would go to Disney World or to Disneyland (see The Battle For My Wallet II: Disneyland Boogaloo for a fuller explanation of why that was). We never plan out our Disney trips very far in advance. I dont know why that is, but as a rule, we generally decide to go about 2 ½ to 3 months before we go and make our plans from there. This time was different and in early January we began discussing our anniversary and where and when we would go. I spent a lot of time reading trip reports and websites and we spent a lot of time talking about what we wanted to do. What could we do to make this trip special? I grew up in Florida and grew up going to Disney World every year. In those days, we didnt stay for more than 2 days because to do so would seem absurd. (In those days there was one park and it didnt even have Splash Mountain. Also we always ate at the Concourse Buffeteria. Does anyone else remember the odd combination of fried chicken and spaghetti? What was that?!) In law school, my wife and I couldnt afford to go for more than two days at a time. Indeed, back then, it was a big thrill to get to spend the night at the All Stars. And after law school, although we could have afforded to stay longer, because my vacation time was limited and we also had to see family, we never really were able to stay more than three days. So the point of this incredibly long and meandering story is: weve dreamed of a day when we could go and stay for a whole week.
We had narrowed down our trip options to a week at the Wilderness Lodge or a week in Disneyland and San Diego. I had our budget worked out for both trips but we were seriously leaning towards Disneyland. I have this thing about blowing money. Again he says, Im not cheap!! Im really not. We take at least two big vacations and several long weekends a year. We had already been to Chicago for a week in June and when I looked at my trip budget, a week at the Wilderness Lodge just looked like too much money. That was money that would not be going into the bank and that made me itchy. A trip to Disneyland would be less expensive and, in my mind, no less enjoyable. So it wouldnt be as special and this wouldnt be the trip that we stayed at Disney World for a week. Wed get over it.
I was dyspeptic for weeks. I would look at my trip plans and the budget and Id talk myself into doing it and then Id feel sick because were spending too much money this year on vacations and were turning into people I dont like. Then Id feel like a decroded piece of crap who was depriving my family of a really great trip. So Id consider shortening the trip by a day or two. Ultimately, that left me unsatisfied.
Then one day, sitting at work avoiding the files on my desk, I was reading Allearsnet and clicked on the resort section and started looking at the slide show from PORiverside. Looking at those pictures reminded me of how great our August, 2001 trip was. Im admittedly a nostalgic guy and looking at those pictures, reminded me of a time and place I still like to go to in my mind. I called my wife and said, What if we stayed at Port Orleans again? She really liked the idea. I think she was just glad I was coming in for a landing. We agreed that the special thing didnt have to be that we were staying at a nicer place, the special thing could be that we were returning to a place that blessed us with such good memories. And we could stay for a week. That would be flippin sweet.
Finally, I was excited about our trip. Then, as you know, Disney announced its Free Dinning package and we pounced on it with alacrity. It meant we'd be taking this trip a month before our 10th anniversary but no one seemed to mind. So-called free food is a no brainer for me. If I was marketing me, Id offer me free food too.
And before you conclude that I'm a complete cheapo, we are also going away for the weekend of Oct 21st to celebrate our tenth anniversary proper. We are staying at the same resort we stayed at on our honeymoon.
Now then, we were in Disney World September 13th 19th. We arrived in Orlando right on schedule at 4:20 p.m. Moments later we were at the Magical Express counter and from there we where whisked away to the queue for our bus. We stood in that line for less time than Brittney was married the first time and then we were escorted out to our bus. Some dude who not only spoke with an accent but spoke at a volume undetectable to the human ear did the final check in. By my count, we had now been checked in three times. It was enough checking already. I was bored with it. We climbed on the bus (I refuse to call it a coach; its a bus with nice seats) and purposefully chose seats in front of one of the tv screens because we foolishly thought there would be something interesting to watch. We were only half right. And then we waited. There was a family behind us, and as it turned out, in front of us as well. They were from Wyoming. I think they had 4 kids but sometimes it seemed like maybe there were 12 kids. Their little boy was flirting with my daughter. She was disinterested. Just like Id taught her to be. That family was nice and we enjoyed talking to them. They became known as the Wyoming People so as to distinguish them from the Pennsylvania people (more on them later).
We continued to wait.
While we waited, Chief Justice Rehnquist died, John Roberts was confirmed and, oddly enough, President Bush selected some woman named Harriet to replace Justice OConnor. Why he did that and why we were still waiting no one knows.
I looked at my watch and we had now been on the bus for over 30 minutes. I started a slow boil. I tried to remind myself that this was approximately the same amount of time we would have spent getting our luggage, picking out the right white Chevy Malibu from the Emerald Aisle and fighting with my daughters car seat. So far nothing lost, right?!
It was also free so it had that going for it.
About 15 minutes, and 20 more people later, we left the airport and headed towards Disney World. The ride itself actually didnt take that long. The video was mildly amusing although its exhausting to get pummeled so early in your trip with the Disney Marketing Machine. It would be easier if there was an ATM machine at the front gate and you could just swipe your card as you entered. Then Disney could drain your account and just leave you alone.
Sadly for us, PORiverside was the 4th and final stop of this Magical not-so-much-of-an Express. Also, our driver was involved in a tawdry love/hate relationship with the brake pedal. In other words, if you love the tea cups, youd love this ride. Nevertheless, when we arrived at PORiverside and fell off the bus, the ill feeling had passed.
There was virtually no line at check in and while my daughter alternated between watching the cartoons and coloring pictures, I checked us in. In what has become a Zzub family tradition, the CM who checked us in was earning his ears. To his credit he did a pretty good job of it. Until he tried to put me in a Mansion I didnt want to be in. So I asked him if we could be in Parterre Place and as close to the cross bridge as possible. Although hed never checked anyone in before, he looked at me as if to say, youre one of those troublesome Disers, arent you?! I ignored his disdain. He alleged there was nothing available in Parterre Place, did I want something in Oak Manor? I reminded him that Oak Manor was smoking optional and no I didnt want to sleep there. You obviously know more than me. He actually said that. It was true, of course, but to hear someone say it was stunning. He offered to go in the back and see if someone else could find something for me.
Yes, the back. You just know this isnt going to end well, dont you?
Much to my surprise (and yours), someone in the back did know how to help me. They put us in a room in Parterre Place and we were off to our room. I think my favorite moment of any Disney trip comes between when you check in and when you go to your room the first time. The anticipation is overwhelming. And the long walk from the front desk to your room in the outer reaches just heightens the suspense. We exited the main building and looked out at the marina and Ol Man Island just beyond. We hung a right and started heading towards our Mansion. By the way, Parterre Place was where we stayed in 2001. That was the reason I wanted to be there again.
My wife alleges that I virtually ran to the room. She lies of course and if you ever meet her, despite her beauty, wit and charm, you should know that she is a liar. I was simply on a mission to get to our room already. Who had time to look at rabbits?! Actually, despite my fast walking (Disney pace, lets move it people!) I was savoring the experience. I had been looking forward to this trip, it seemed, for four years. The last few months before this vacation had been unusually stressful at work. I was fighting burnout and fatigue. By the time we got to the cross bridge, I had forgotten all of that. Call me corny. Say Im cheesy, I dont care, but when we walked across that bridge, I was home. I actually could feel myself relaxing.
We found our room and marveled at what a great location we had. It was very close to the cross bridge. We immediately marveled at the quiet. The room decor was much as I remembered it, but the room seemed smaller to me. Two double beds rather than a single king bed will do that. My wife noticed that it had not been well cleaned. Indeed, the room looked worn. But despite that, we were glad to be there. We dropped off our carry on bags and headed out.
That is the remarkable thing about Disney and me. I would never pay $145 a night for a room that small, that far away from the food and that unclean in the real world. I am the king of Priceline (big surprise). I regularly stay in 4 and 5 star properties for 1/3 the price of the room at PORiverside. By comparison, I recently spent three nights at the Omni in Atlanta in a 3 room suite for $58 a night. But Ive never relaxed that much any place else. Ive never enjoyed any place else as much. So by my reckoning, Im not paying for the room as much as the experience. Thats how I justify it anyway.
Call us red necks but we really like PORiverside. We really like the food court there and yes, that was where we ate dinner our first night. Not by accident mind you, it was by design. We really are rednecks. We love eating at the food courts in Disney World. I dont know why and Im not inclined to analyze it either. Its not amoral, unbiblical, unethical or illegal. It may be uncouth but I doubt it. The point is we like it and we look forward to it.
We were still a little unclear about how the dinning plan would work and so we asked a very nice CM and she gave us the skinny. She also offered this unsolicited advice, You dont have to order your daughter a kids meal. Get her whatever you want. I wondered if she knew the rage her comments would cause on these boards.
I grabbed my usual and favorite cheese steak and my wife got some kind of veggie sandwich which actually looked good. My daughter ignored the advice of the CM and got the mac and cheese. We all three got bottles of water to take back to our room and I bought a refillable mug. The same helpful CM who had answered our dinning plan questions also checked us out.
While she was clipping the plastic off our mug, she told us we could bring the mug back every time we come and even when it wears out, bring it back and well give you a new one.
Im not lying, thats exactly what she said.
Was she flippin nuts?!
I could hear the screams of hundreds of Disers.
I dont know what offended me more, that she assumed this was my first time at Disney World, or that she was telling me something I knew wasnt true. I have never EVER wanted to enter a mug debate with anyone. I have never cared. However, for a brief moment I considered asking her to interpret the words for the length of your stay. Instead I just picked up our two trays of food and drinks and headed towards a table. I wondered if I was wrong and she was right. Could I use the mug forever? Pass it along to my kids? Did it revert back to Disney in 2042? For just $11.95, had I bought into the Disney Mug Vacation Club? Welcome home.
Next time: lunch with Cinderella and meet the Pennsylvania people.
Chapter One
I could just write the story of our recent vacation to Disney World. But youd feel cheated if I didnt first labor through an endless back story with all sorts of pointless trivia and meaningless references including a gratuitous nod to 9/11. I just cant do that to you. I respect you too much for that.
Four years ago, my wife and I went on the best trip of our lives. Of all our many trips to the World, the August, 2001 trip was superlative. Every trip to Disney World is a good trip; but as you know, some trips are simply better than others. For us, the August, 2001 trip was the best. I got to skipper the Jungle Cruise, a trash can struck up a conversation with us, we saw Space Mountain with the lights on, I got into the hot seat at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (which made me a mini-celebrity for the rest of the day) and we were upgraded to first class on our flight down there. Also, no one got sick and no one died. Weve had that happen on prior trips.
One of the reasons that trip is so special to us is because four years ago, we were planning our family and we decided to take one last trip as a married couple without children. We were more correct than we realized. Because this was to be our last trip without children, we decided to stay some place nicer than normal; nicer than the All Stars. I had been out of law school a little more than two years at that point and was making pretty decent money. So we planned to stay at the Grand Floridian. Back then, I didnt know about Mousesavers or Mouseplanet. Id never heard of the Dis. Any information I possessed was from my own experience going to Disney World. And, Im embarrassed to say, reading Birnbaums. Shudder. It was while reading Birnbaums that I learned Dixie Landings (as it was once called) was a good alternative to the Grand Floridian. It had all the romance, most of the charm and it was substantially less expensive. Hello. That is my kind of place.
Im economical. Not cheap.
Theres a difference.
Stop judging me.
So off to Port Orleans Riverside we headed. We immediately became enamored of the resort. We found it very romantic and very quiet. When our trip was over and we were on our way home, we were reminiscing about our vacation and all of the many magical moments we had experienced. We agreed that it was so special that we should wait awhile before we returned. There was no way any trip could favorably compare and it made sense to allow some time before we went back so as to avoid being disappointed. We also agreed that our days at the All Stars was over. Now that wed tasted the Moderate life we couldnt go back.
Three things occurred right after we returned from that trip. We found out my wife was pregnant; I started work for a new firm and 9/11 woke us up to the new normal.
Those last two things have nothing to do with anything, Im just providing context. Youd think I got paid by the word, wouldnt you? We didnt go back to Disney World again until after my daughter was a year old in June, 2003. That was her first trip to the World and because she was a huge fan of 101 Dalmatians, we reasoned that she would enjoy staying in ASMovies. We were correct; she enjoyed the Puppies more than she enjoyed anything else. We returned to Disney World in 2004 to celebrate her second birthday. She was quite enamored of Buzz and Woody at the time, so we again chose ASMovies. It bears mentioning that when my daughter was born we went from a two income to a one income family so despite our earlier ill-advised pledge to not return to the All Stars, it made good sense to stay there again. Frankly, I actually enjoy ASMovies. I dont want to live there or anything and I think three nights is the maximum amount of time I could stay there without committing a felony, but its otherwise a pretty fun place to land for a few days. Good grief, Ive now digressed from my digression.
Short story: we enjoyed both trips very much but we were ready to stay in a nicer place again.
By nicer, I mean less crowded, less overrun with screaming kids. No teenybop juice bar.
Our tenth anniversary is this year (October 21st to be precise) and we wanted to do something special for our anniversary. There was never any question that we would be going to a Disney park. The major dilemma for us was whether we would go to Disney World or to Disneyland (see The Battle For My Wallet II: Disneyland Boogaloo for a fuller explanation of why that was). We never plan out our Disney trips very far in advance. I dont know why that is, but as a rule, we generally decide to go about 2 ½ to 3 months before we go and make our plans from there. This time was different and in early January we began discussing our anniversary and where and when we would go. I spent a lot of time reading trip reports and websites and we spent a lot of time talking about what we wanted to do. What could we do to make this trip special? I grew up in Florida and grew up going to Disney World every year. In those days, we didnt stay for more than 2 days because to do so would seem absurd. (In those days there was one park and it didnt even have Splash Mountain. Also we always ate at the Concourse Buffeteria. Does anyone else remember the odd combination of fried chicken and spaghetti? What was that?!) In law school, my wife and I couldnt afford to go for more than two days at a time. Indeed, back then, it was a big thrill to get to spend the night at the All Stars. And after law school, although we could have afforded to stay longer, because my vacation time was limited and we also had to see family, we never really were able to stay more than three days. So the point of this incredibly long and meandering story is: weve dreamed of a day when we could go and stay for a whole week.
We had narrowed down our trip options to a week at the Wilderness Lodge or a week in Disneyland and San Diego. I had our budget worked out for both trips but we were seriously leaning towards Disneyland. I have this thing about blowing money. Again he says, Im not cheap!! Im really not. We take at least two big vacations and several long weekends a year. We had already been to Chicago for a week in June and when I looked at my trip budget, a week at the Wilderness Lodge just looked like too much money. That was money that would not be going into the bank and that made me itchy. A trip to Disneyland would be less expensive and, in my mind, no less enjoyable. So it wouldnt be as special and this wouldnt be the trip that we stayed at Disney World for a week. Wed get over it.
I was dyspeptic for weeks. I would look at my trip plans and the budget and Id talk myself into doing it and then Id feel sick because were spending too much money this year on vacations and were turning into people I dont like. Then Id feel like a decroded piece of crap who was depriving my family of a really great trip. So Id consider shortening the trip by a day or two. Ultimately, that left me unsatisfied.
Then one day, sitting at work avoiding the files on my desk, I was reading Allearsnet and clicked on the resort section and started looking at the slide show from PORiverside. Looking at those pictures reminded me of how great our August, 2001 trip was. Im admittedly a nostalgic guy and looking at those pictures, reminded me of a time and place I still like to go to in my mind. I called my wife and said, What if we stayed at Port Orleans again? She really liked the idea. I think she was just glad I was coming in for a landing. We agreed that the special thing didnt have to be that we were staying at a nicer place, the special thing could be that we were returning to a place that blessed us with such good memories. And we could stay for a week. That would be flippin sweet.
Finally, I was excited about our trip. Then, as you know, Disney announced its Free Dinning package and we pounced on it with alacrity. It meant we'd be taking this trip a month before our 10th anniversary but no one seemed to mind. So-called free food is a no brainer for me. If I was marketing me, Id offer me free food too.
And before you conclude that I'm a complete cheapo, we are also going away for the weekend of Oct 21st to celebrate our tenth anniversary proper. We are staying at the same resort we stayed at on our honeymoon.
Now then, we were in Disney World September 13th 19th. We arrived in Orlando right on schedule at 4:20 p.m. Moments later we were at the Magical Express counter and from there we where whisked away to the queue for our bus. We stood in that line for less time than Brittney was married the first time and then we were escorted out to our bus. Some dude who not only spoke with an accent but spoke at a volume undetectable to the human ear did the final check in. By my count, we had now been checked in three times. It was enough checking already. I was bored with it. We climbed on the bus (I refuse to call it a coach; its a bus with nice seats) and purposefully chose seats in front of one of the tv screens because we foolishly thought there would be something interesting to watch. We were only half right. And then we waited. There was a family behind us, and as it turned out, in front of us as well. They were from Wyoming. I think they had 4 kids but sometimes it seemed like maybe there were 12 kids. Their little boy was flirting with my daughter. She was disinterested. Just like Id taught her to be. That family was nice and we enjoyed talking to them. They became known as the Wyoming People so as to distinguish them from the Pennsylvania people (more on them later).
We continued to wait.
While we waited, Chief Justice Rehnquist died, John Roberts was confirmed and, oddly enough, President Bush selected some woman named Harriet to replace Justice OConnor. Why he did that and why we were still waiting no one knows.
I looked at my watch and we had now been on the bus for over 30 minutes. I started a slow boil. I tried to remind myself that this was approximately the same amount of time we would have spent getting our luggage, picking out the right white Chevy Malibu from the Emerald Aisle and fighting with my daughters car seat. So far nothing lost, right?!
It was also free so it had that going for it.
About 15 minutes, and 20 more people later, we left the airport and headed towards Disney World. The ride itself actually didnt take that long. The video was mildly amusing although its exhausting to get pummeled so early in your trip with the Disney Marketing Machine. It would be easier if there was an ATM machine at the front gate and you could just swipe your card as you entered. Then Disney could drain your account and just leave you alone.
Sadly for us, PORiverside was the 4th and final stop of this Magical not-so-much-of-an Express. Also, our driver was involved in a tawdry love/hate relationship with the brake pedal. In other words, if you love the tea cups, youd love this ride. Nevertheless, when we arrived at PORiverside and fell off the bus, the ill feeling had passed.
There was virtually no line at check in and while my daughter alternated between watching the cartoons and coloring pictures, I checked us in. In what has become a Zzub family tradition, the CM who checked us in was earning his ears. To his credit he did a pretty good job of it. Until he tried to put me in a Mansion I didnt want to be in. So I asked him if we could be in Parterre Place and as close to the cross bridge as possible. Although hed never checked anyone in before, he looked at me as if to say, youre one of those troublesome Disers, arent you?! I ignored his disdain. He alleged there was nothing available in Parterre Place, did I want something in Oak Manor? I reminded him that Oak Manor was smoking optional and no I didnt want to sleep there. You obviously know more than me. He actually said that. It was true, of course, but to hear someone say it was stunning. He offered to go in the back and see if someone else could find something for me.
Yes, the back. You just know this isnt going to end well, dont you?
Much to my surprise (and yours), someone in the back did know how to help me. They put us in a room in Parterre Place and we were off to our room. I think my favorite moment of any Disney trip comes between when you check in and when you go to your room the first time. The anticipation is overwhelming. And the long walk from the front desk to your room in the outer reaches just heightens the suspense. We exited the main building and looked out at the marina and Ol Man Island just beyond. We hung a right and started heading towards our Mansion. By the way, Parterre Place was where we stayed in 2001. That was the reason I wanted to be there again.
My wife alleges that I virtually ran to the room. She lies of course and if you ever meet her, despite her beauty, wit and charm, you should know that she is a liar. I was simply on a mission to get to our room already. Who had time to look at rabbits?! Actually, despite my fast walking (Disney pace, lets move it people!) I was savoring the experience. I had been looking forward to this trip, it seemed, for four years. The last few months before this vacation had been unusually stressful at work. I was fighting burnout and fatigue. By the time we got to the cross bridge, I had forgotten all of that. Call me corny. Say Im cheesy, I dont care, but when we walked across that bridge, I was home. I actually could feel myself relaxing.
We found our room and marveled at what a great location we had. It was very close to the cross bridge. We immediately marveled at the quiet. The room decor was much as I remembered it, but the room seemed smaller to me. Two double beds rather than a single king bed will do that. My wife noticed that it had not been well cleaned. Indeed, the room looked worn. But despite that, we were glad to be there. We dropped off our carry on bags and headed out.
That is the remarkable thing about Disney and me. I would never pay $145 a night for a room that small, that far away from the food and that unclean in the real world. I am the king of Priceline (big surprise). I regularly stay in 4 and 5 star properties for 1/3 the price of the room at PORiverside. By comparison, I recently spent three nights at the Omni in Atlanta in a 3 room suite for $58 a night. But Ive never relaxed that much any place else. Ive never enjoyed any place else as much. So by my reckoning, Im not paying for the room as much as the experience. Thats how I justify it anyway.
Call us red necks but we really like PORiverside. We really like the food court there and yes, that was where we ate dinner our first night. Not by accident mind you, it was by design. We really are rednecks. We love eating at the food courts in Disney World. I dont know why and Im not inclined to analyze it either. Its not amoral, unbiblical, unethical or illegal. It may be uncouth but I doubt it. The point is we like it and we look forward to it.
We were still a little unclear about how the dinning plan would work and so we asked a very nice CM and she gave us the skinny. She also offered this unsolicited advice, You dont have to order your daughter a kids meal. Get her whatever you want. I wondered if she knew the rage her comments would cause on these boards.
I grabbed my usual and favorite cheese steak and my wife got some kind of veggie sandwich which actually looked good. My daughter ignored the advice of the CM and got the mac and cheese. We all three got bottles of water to take back to our room and I bought a refillable mug. The same helpful CM who had answered our dinning plan questions also checked us out.
While she was clipping the plastic off our mug, she told us we could bring the mug back every time we come and even when it wears out, bring it back and well give you a new one.
Im not lying, thats exactly what she said.
Was she flippin nuts?!
I could hear the screams of hundreds of Disers.
I dont know what offended me more, that she assumed this was my first time at Disney World, or that she was telling me something I knew wasnt true. I have never EVER wanted to enter a mug debate with anyone. I have never cared. However, for a brief moment I considered asking her to interpret the words for the length of your stay. Instead I just picked up our two trays of food and drinks and headed towards a table. I wondered if I was wrong and she was right. Could I use the mug forever? Pass it along to my kids? Did it revert back to Disney in 2042? For just $11.95, had I bought into the Disney Mug Vacation Club? Welcome home.
Next time: lunch with Cinderella and meet the Pennsylvania people.
place
Can't wait for the next installment! 
, I completely bow to your vastly greater knowledge, oh great one who labors with pen,wit, and myriad willing assistants armed with spell-check.
Looking forward to the next installment! 
