WeRblam
Dis Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2001
- Messages
- 638
Ok, I finally have a minute and decided I should write my trip report. After all, I have read and reread all the wonderful trip reports submitted here and decided I needed to add our families trip. So here goes....
Cast of Characters:
Me - 41
DH - 45
DS - 15
DD - 11
Let me start with saying that we have been to Disney and US/IOA at least three other times in the past five years. This would be our fourth trip in five years. This time we were going for 8 nights and our plan was to spend the first three days at US/IOA and then head on over to the Hilton at WDW. We flew from Logan to Orlando on JetBlue (loved this airline) and arrived 10 minutes ahead of schedule - 4:40 pm. Our plans were to meet up with my DB, his DW and his niece and nephew DNEIC 8, DNEPW 11 at the dollar rental car since we both booked our cars from them. He was coming in from MI and we were coming from MA. When we landed, I had a hard time contacting my DB, so we continued on to baggage check and then down to dollar. While I got a great deal from Dollar ($295.11 per week for an SUV - Dodge Durango), I found the process a little unsettling. First, we are fast lane members. Great I thought, I saw a separate line for fast lane members at the counter in airport. DH stayed with the kids while I did my fast check in. Well, they check me in and thentell me that I have to wait while they get the car from a remote site. Apparently some of the cars have been moved because of Hurricane Charley. Ok, I think no big deal, I can just wait. Can't help it if nature reaks some havoc, yada yada yada I keep telling myself. After about 25 minutes, they page me and give me the paperwork and tell me to go outside (we are in Terminal A) to across the street to get my car. We step outside with all our luggage and proceed across the street to the underground garage. Well, here is another line about 15 people deep. There is no fast lane member line here. So I wait in this line while DH is flashing me impatient looks and grumbling about the fast lane....Finally get to the window after another 10 minutes and the hand over the keys to a new Dodge Durango. You need to go pick up your car, they tell you where it is located. Fortunately it was not too far or I would have had to deal with more remarks and eye rolling from DH and comments about the amount of luggage we took...I keep trying DB and we make some contact (he is in the same situation over in terminal B) and agree to meet right outside the airport to continue our journey to our first stop - Hard Rock Hotel.
We arrive at the Hard Rock Hotel around 6:30 pm and decide to valet for $12.00 (self-park is $6.00). DH is taking care of the luggage issue while DB and I go to front desk. Whew, no line here. Great, we start the check in process and they tell us that they are running a "Hurricane Charley" Special and if we would consider spending one night at the Portofino, it would be paid for by Hard Rock. I can't beleive my ears, I ask her again...the Portofino and you will pick up the tab for the night?. She assures me again that I heard right. I had paid $164 per night using my Universal Fan Club membership and DB paid $199 per night using his travel agent discount. DB and I jump on this since it was late and we were not planning on doing the park tonight and heck who would not like to save that much money? She offers that we could stay the whole time at Portofino which I considered but quickly dismissed it since we know the kids really would enjoy the Hard Rock (I should mention at this time that DB's niece and nephew have never been to WDW or IOA/US ever....). We take her up on the offer and she hands us a complimentary memo to take over to Portofino. Now we have to deal with telling the others...We have to get the keys back from Valet and load the luggage back into the cars and move across the street. As we are leaving, we see our friends who we knew were stayng at Hard Rock and agree to meet up with them later.
We load back up and head over to the Portofino. The grounds are beautfiul and hotel looks very elegant and mediterrean. The foyer is marble with arches/columns and it has rosewood check in desks. DB and I proceed to check in while DH checks in our bags (again). Kids are getting restless and DH is complaining he is running out of singles with all this valet and luggage assistance he has been doing since we left Logan. We ignore them all and finally get our rooms. They are on the first floor in the East Wing. The ceilings in our room were about 14ft high. You could actually use a stepstool to get into the 4 poster bed it was that high! We were delighted that we finally arrived. I told everyone not to unpack, just work from the suitcase. We take a few moments breather and decide what to do. My family will meet with our friends over at Citiwalk and DB and his family will stick around the hotel and have a quick bite to eat. We get acquaitned with the hotel and then it is of to Citiwalk for us....TO BE CONTINUED
Cast of Characters:
Me - 41
DH - 45
DS - 15
DD - 11
Let me start with saying that we have been to Disney and US/IOA at least three other times in the past five years. This would be our fourth trip in five years. This time we were going for 8 nights and our plan was to spend the first three days at US/IOA and then head on over to the Hilton at WDW. We flew from Logan to Orlando on JetBlue (loved this airline) and arrived 10 minutes ahead of schedule - 4:40 pm. Our plans were to meet up with my DB, his DW and his niece and nephew DNEIC 8, DNEPW 11 at the dollar rental car since we both booked our cars from them. He was coming in from MI and we were coming from MA. When we landed, I had a hard time contacting my DB, so we continued on to baggage check and then down to dollar. While I got a great deal from Dollar ($295.11 per week for an SUV - Dodge Durango), I found the process a little unsettling. First, we are fast lane members. Great I thought, I saw a separate line for fast lane members at the counter in airport. DH stayed with the kids while I did my fast check in. Well, they check me in and thentell me that I have to wait while they get the car from a remote site. Apparently some of the cars have been moved because of Hurricane Charley. Ok, I think no big deal, I can just wait. Can't help it if nature reaks some havoc, yada yada yada I keep telling myself. After about 25 minutes, they page me and give me the paperwork and tell me to go outside (we are in Terminal A) to across the street to get my car. We step outside with all our luggage and proceed across the street to the underground garage. Well, here is another line about 15 people deep. There is no fast lane member line here. So I wait in this line while DH is flashing me impatient looks and grumbling about the fast lane....Finally get to the window after another 10 minutes and the hand over the keys to a new Dodge Durango. You need to go pick up your car, they tell you where it is located. Fortunately it was not too far or I would have had to deal with more remarks and eye rolling from DH and comments about the amount of luggage we took...I keep trying DB and we make some contact (he is in the same situation over in terminal B) and agree to meet right outside the airport to continue our journey to our first stop - Hard Rock Hotel.
We arrive at the Hard Rock Hotel around 6:30 pm and decide to valet for $12.00 (self-park is $6.00). DH is taking care of the luggage issue while DB and I go to front desk. Whew, no line here. Great, we start the check in process and they tell us that they are running a "Hurricane Charley" Special and if we would consider spending one night at the Portofino, it would be paid for by Hard Rock. I can't beleive my ears, I ask her again...the Portofino and you will pick up the tab for the night?. She assures me again that I heard right. I had paid $164 per night using my Universal Fan Club membership and DB paid $199 per night using his travel agent discount. DB and I jump on this since it was late and we were not planning on doing the park tonight and heck who would not like to save that much money? She offers that we could stay the whole time at Portofino which I considered but quickly dismissed it since we know the kids really would enjoy the Hard Rock (I should mention at this time that DB's niece and nephew have never been to WDW or IOA/US ever....). We take her up on the offer and she hands us a complimentary memo to take over to Portofino. Now we have to deal with telling the others...We have to get the keys back from Valet and load the luggage back into the cars and move across the street. As we are leaving, we see our friends who we knew were stayng at Hard Rock and agree to meet up with them later.
We load back up and head over to the Portofino. The grounds are beautfiul and hotel looks very elegant and mediterrean. The foyer is marble with arches/columns and it has rosewood check in desks. DB and I proceed to check in while DH checks in our bags (again). Kids are getting restless and DH is complaining he is running out of singles with all this valet and luggage assistance he has been doing since we left Logan. We ignore them all and finally get our rooms. They are on the first floor in the East Wing. The ceilings in our room were about 14ft high. You could actually use a stepstool to get into the 4 poster bed it was that high! We were delighted that we finally arrived. I told everyone not to unpack, just work from the suitcase. We take a few moments breather and decide what to do. My family will meet with our friends over at Citiwalk and DB and his family will stick around the hotel and have a quick bite to eat. We get acquaitned with the hotel and then it is of to Citiwalk for us....TO BE CONTINUED
