Trip Reports

Time of Year: Spring
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle Service
Resort: DLe
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Elementary, Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent, Rookie
Comments: Mike, Ruth, and almost five-year-old daughter Danielle had a wonderful late May trip to WDW. The trip was definitely geared toward Danielle's interests, which is an interesting twist to the usual WDW trip report. Mike and Ruth really enjoyed watching Danielle's reaction to the characters and the attractions.

Brian,

Thanks again for your site and the time you took to answer my questions via email. It really was a wonderful trip!

Introduction:

Magic! Fantastic! Outstanding! Get the idea that we had a World of fun? :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

This cover page is to say thank you for the advice found within your posts, web pages, and email. While too great in number to list all, I must recognize 'Gardenia', Beth Hutchens, Beth Florio, Bob Yost and Brian Bennett (congrats too!) for their advice and of course Deb Wills for her unbelievable site. Oh, and a special thanks to Kenny, too, as the Keeper of the Truth ;-)

The highlights of radp advice atop the "you made our trip" list: (1) Stay in the resort and use the Early Entry advantage; (2) 'Go left'. Not only did it work when touring, it worked in buffet lines! (3) Character Breakfasts: First to go to them, then to get priority seating around 9AM while touring the EE park beforehand, and to let yourself (not just your kids) have fun; (4) Take a midday break for a nap and swimming, then return to another park in the evening. We rode more lineless rides in the evening than we thought possible, plus we used this time to scope out the next day's EE park, and (5) Relax. Enjoy. Smile. Be a kid.

This report reflects our opinions based solely on experiences during this trip. Most of the reviews are from Danielle's 5 year old point-of-view. I discuss where and what we ate, along with the price. If you want the specific price of an item, ask. I have all receipts. I also have pics (jpg format) of the interior of our room and the exterior of Parterre Place @ DxL, if anyone would like to see them. The rest seem to be of Danielle goof'in around with a multitude characters!

Thanks again. I hope this serves to give another touring newbie a tidbit of insight or information in the creation of their WDW plan.

'Frame-of -mind' info:

I had a surprise business trip and flew back home at 1AM on 5/28. We had to leave by 6:30AM for WDW flight. Yes, it was an all-nighter! Can you say VACATION!! My wife Ruth and daughter Danielle (5) more than compensated for my absence in their preparation. Both of the flights went without delay! The tickets were AA frequent flyer awards! I was chillin, so here we start...

Orlando airport at 2:30PM:

Mears Transportation: Not cheap, but worked well and Bill the driver had a good sense of humor. Lesson learned: Since we were away from home for 13 days we had to check bags. One of us should have gone into the Mears check-in line while the other picked up the bags. Instead, we waited for the bags, spent 30 minutes in the Mears line, waited 15 for the DxL shuttle, then hit the road. The trip to DxL was 3 stops and about 30 minutes, so we arrived close to 4PM.

DxL Arrival: As I lifted my bag from the Mears van, the CM Valet yelled "HEY, YOU'RE ON VACATION. PUT THAT DOWN :-) " I did so and he unloaded everything, took it away giving me a ticket stub, then gave me directions to the front desk. He refused a tip, saying that I could give one to the CM Bellhop once I got my room, if I so desired. Impressive.

DxL Check-in: Listen to Gardenia, check-in early. There were 10 people in front of me and 4 CMs working check-in so it took 35 minutes to get to a CM. Then, after waiting 5 minutes, the CM told me "Sorry, we have no rooms." Remember, I hadn't slept for 48 hours so my fuse was short. Eventually I realized she meant "Housekeeping has no rooms ready yet." She suggested that I 'go to dinner' then come back to the Information Desk to see if a room was open, but I went straight to the Info Desk queue. Though only 4 people in front of me, it took 45 minutes to get to the CM. Why? All did what I did, camped out until they had a room! Good thing too; though I requested Magnolia Bend, CRO had it listed as AB. Once that was realized, I had a room in 2 minutes. Strange but laughable in the end.

Parterre Place: Great! A CM Bellhop gave us golfcart door-to-door service to 9612 Parterre Place with great spirit and humor. Danielle sat in front with him and had fun. Yep, he gladly accepted the tip :-) The grounds are beautiful, the front walkway a nice place to sit and take in the end of the day. The nearest pool is at Oak Manor, a 1 minute walk, and it was never heavily populated while we were there. Maybe 15 at most, 50% kids (5 - 14) and 50% adults. The walk to the lobby, dining (Boatwright's & Cotton Mill), riverboat, and bus stop (South Depot) was quite pleasant. I have a jpg pic of the building if you want.

Room 9612: The room was fresh and clean with little sign of wear. Though not huge, the decor was very in theme; the dual sink and vanity a nice touch. I have a jpg pic or two if you want one. Though listed as standard view, the hedges and shrubs mostly obscure the parking lot from the room. The walls are not the thickest, but turning the A/C fan on high created the necessary white noise. And those turbo toilets... wow!! Also, as noted in radp, don't forget your shampoo. The 'body soap & shampoo' combo liquid in the shower was not liked by my scalp or hair. However, the water pressure was strong, the hot water plentiful, and the water temperature stable.

Village Marketplace: With no wait, we hopped on the Sassagoula Riverboat to DVM. What a relaxing, fun ride! The CM Captain took his time & explained the sights. Shopping! 25th anniversary glass coffee mugs and highball sets with our names engraved, clothing, wine & more. Dinner at Captain Jack's Oyster Bar was very good, we had the cheese plate, garlic oysters, steamed shrimp, summer salad, side salad, hot dog & drinks for $56 + tip. All was very good (wish there was a true raw bar).

Comment of the day: While on the riverboat back to DxL, the woman sitting behind us said "What are all those moving lights in the sky?" (referring to the dozen or so lights from Illuminations that one can see from DVM). Her husband responded "They are spotlights so that the planes can land safely at the airport." Man, I would not like to be in the approach pattern for that!! :-)

5/29

Up at 6AM, Mickey's (or was that Minnie's) voice a nice wake-up call touch! Munched on fruit, granola bars & juice kept in the mini-fridge (rental = $5/day). Sunny, delightful 6:45AM walk to the South Depot. First bus arrived at 6:55 with drop-off at MK at 7:15. Went to the next gate to the left and ended up being one of the first in when the gates opened at 7:35.

NO LINES, YEEEHAAA!!!

Snow White: Why didn't I listen to you? Heck, the witch at the end of the first turn made me jump. Poor Danielle, she handled it well by putting her face in the crook of my arm & shoulder. The rough ride added to her torment, and whatever vocals were with the ride were indistinguishable. Today, if asked which ride she liked best, she'll respond "I liked them all best except Snow White." Yuck.

Dumbo: Who said this was an unimpressive waste? What fun!! Danielle loved it and so did we. Simple yes, but she controlled the height and had fun doing so. We rode 2 times without any lines.

It's a Small World: So I got choked up when (after only about 10 seconds inside) Danielle was singing the theme song with all her heart and I joined in. So it hasn't changed since my first visit. Both were part of the overflow of emotion that I felt. Danielle loved it so much that we revisited 3 times throughout our stay. Again, no lines.

Peter Pan's Flight: The ride was very smooth, the dialogue clear and loud enough for Danielle to hear and follow. She loved it; calling out the names of Peter, Nana, Hook, the Lost Boys etc as we flew over and around them. Danielle asked to go back through but we never found the time.

8:45 PS CB at Crystal Palace: Seated at 8:55, this was more fun than expected, the food better quality than some posts lead me to believe. Go left really applied here as the right buffet line typically had 7 - 10 people while the left line only 1 or 2. The omelets, puffed French Toast and fresh fruit were excellent. $34 + tip with MKC discount. Tigger, Pooh & Eeyore were tons-o-fun. Our CM Waiter, William S., was fast, responsive (ie OJ & coffee refills) and courteous.

10:15 Cinderella's Carousel, simple but very fun for Danielle (us too!) She must have ridden 3 or 4 times, with the bonus of meeting Merlin and watching his show on one of those occasions.

Jungle Cruise: Fun, fun, fun with a touch of the obnoxious thrown in. Our CM Captain's patter was non-stop but she didn't quite react to Guest interaction with much gusto. Used to dishing it out without much response, I guess. Danielle loved it, asking early on "these aren't real animals, are they?" and feeling comfortable in our response. Total wait about 20 minutes.

Pirates of the Caribbean: We all, including Danielle, left singing "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me". Again Danielle was comfortable with our answer to her question on the animatronics. She asked it right away and went with the flow, even asking to go back through again. POTC line about 15 minutes. And a very big THANKS to the post on the best restrooms; the one behind the POTC gift shop was timely, large, clean and unpopulated.

Mad Tea Cups: One of Danielle's faves, though I found out it was possible to spin faster than even I really wanted to continue going. Ruth, who doesn't like long car, boat or plane rides refused to go on the second and third times later in the stay. Tweedle-Dee, Alice and the Queen were all around here for pictures and autographs. 5 minute wait on MTC line.

Mickey's Toontown: Wall-to-wall, shoulder to shoulder. We U-turned out.

1PM monorail (driver's cab taken) to EPCOT:

Innoventions: Fun for me, Danielle & Ruth bored & put off by the crowds.

Living Seas: OK, but has it changed over the years? Our memory was that once out of the 'Hydrolater' you could walk through the center of the aquarium in a big circular pattern, admiring the fish as you went. Am I confusing this with somewhere else (Baltimore)? The ride through LS, combined with the relatively small viewing rooms, made the fish seem distant and impersonal to us. Your insight please?

Lunch at Pasta & Pizza: OK pizza and a nice surprise... very good cannoli with chocolate sprinkles.

Spaceship Earth: When we came in at 1PM the line was fully wound through the rails and down the sidewalk. Now, at 2:15, it's walk-in. Go figure. Three thumbs up for a smooth, interesting venture.

3PM Bus to DxL: 5 minute wait and 15 people on the bus. Quick change, then off to Oak Manor pool.

5:15PM Bus to EPCOT: 2 minute wait and 10 - 12 on the bus.

6:15PM PS at San Angel Inn, seated on time. Great atmosphere, we struck up conversations with those around us. Good Margaritas and Sangria. Our CM Waiter, Heriberto, was excellent with Danielle as she (with his help) counted to 10 in Spanish. We overloaded with nachos, kids' quesadillas, Camarones Enchilada (very good), Plato Mexicano (good), ice cream & cappuccino. $61 pre-tip excluding drinks.

8PM El Rio del Tiempo: a pleasing journey that seems to have been designed by a joint venture of the Small World and POTC imagineers.

IllumiNations: Does anyone know if something happened to the program this night? We thought that we had decent viewing in front of Canada, but something must have been wrong. The lights didn't make characters or any other recognizable patterns, the fireworks seemed out of sync. We were not alone, the crowds left in what seemed like quiet bewilderment (I remember applause last time!). When many were out the gate, single fireworks & some big boomers seemed to randomly shoot off. Was nothing like what we remem bered from last trip in 1991, and that's not for the better. The 'boomers' scared Danielle so much she took my hand and ran (which made us first in line for the return bus which was packed!)

10PM Bus ride: Danielle's droopy eyes were almost closed when I asked "What was best today?" She whispered, "Dumbo and Small World", then nodded off in my arms. Could it be better? Sigh.

COTD: CM Bus Driver "Next stop, Port Orlinns", whereby several GoHs blurted out "That's Port Ore-Leens", then another said "Who cares, it's a ghost town anyway. No one stays there." I noticed that only 1 or 2 people (if any) got on or off each time we stopped. Though this bus was SRO, only 3 or 4 got off at PO. Why? Just the small size or something else?

5/30

Another nice walk to South Depot @ 6:45. This time the first bus to EPCOT did not arrive until 7:10, getting us there by 7:25. Again, first in line as we moved left to the next gate.

The Fountain View: Who's favorite spot was this? Thanks! What a lovely morning we had in the mist of the fountain. Sunny, not too hot, I think that only 8 or 10 folks came in the first 30 minutes. We were the only ones sitting at an outside table. CM Wanda made excellent Cafe Mocha, I went back for 2nds and she made it her fave way with a little cinnamon. Delicious. We sat and enjoyed for 45 minutes, including a bagel & cream cheese, regular croissant, fruit bowl, raspberry & cheese croissant, fruit tart, OJ, mocha & a coffee for $16. What a way to start the day!

Cranium Command: Very cute, Bobcat's perfect for the adrenaline! Too loud for Danielle so she sat in my lap with my hands over her ears. This may have been partially due to the fact that the theater was only about 20% full and we sat center of row 3. Wait was 7 minutes.

Food Rocks: Very well done, Danielle boogied to the tunes; standing up in the row to dance, clap, and wave her hands to the music. Again, the auditorium was less than 20% full so all had choice seating and there were no conflicts with kids jumping around. We're in a bouncy mood now! Wait was 5 minutes.

Living with the Land: Very well done. Our CM Captain was very interesting, full of facts and research info and held the interest of adults & kids alike. The kids loved the 9 pound lemons and the tomatoes suspended in the air. Wait was 12 minutes. The small gift shop had a neat item, a large wooden crate filled with a dozen or so types of polished semi-precious stones. Danielle sifted through it for 30 minutes and filled a small pouch for keepsake ($5). Grandpop is into lapidary and the two of them are talking jewelry!

HISTA: Excellent! True, the startling effect of the 3D explosions and sudden appearances (i.e. the snake) were a bit to much for Danielle but, with the exception of the first one, they were predictable. Again, she sat in my lap and I just lightly lifted the 3D glasses above her eyes when I felt something big coming. I also cut the sound a little by holding my hands lightly over her ears. The end result, she laughed and loved it... even asking to go through again! The other effects were outstanding! Wait was 17 minutes.

Noon bus to MGM without a hitch.

Beauty and the Beast: We arrived about 15 minutes before showtime and got a good near center seat in a row about 2/3 of the way up. A beautifully colorful show, well balanced and well done. A hit with Danielle.

Toy Story Parade: Also very well done. This day was HOT and thank goodness for the guy squirting the crowd with water from his water bottle. Also for the vendors selling water and other drinks. The soldiers interacted a lot with the crowd; posing for individual pictures and having fun with kids. Then there were Slinky, Woody and Buzz. As with every parade we attended, it was nice to see adults helping *all* kids get to the curb for good seats. Wish this Magic extended beyond Disney...

HOND: The backlot was a disappointing venue. Unlike other areas, the vertical supports are right in the middle of the seats and block a good portion of the view. When the command came to do the 'butt-scoot' down the bench, we ended up being able to see about ½ of the stage. On this day, the singing, energy and overall presentation didn't approach that of BATB but our experience is tainted by the venue. Too bad, the show might have really been good. We got there about 12 minutes before showtime.

4:00 Bus back to DxL for nap

5:25 Bus (packed to SRO) to MGM, with arrival at 5:45PM.

6:10PM PS at 50's Prime Time Cafe: Sat us at 6:00, incredibly campy & fun though we did not really relate to the theme. CM Waiter Witt was excellent with Danielle, taking her coloring to 'Mom's fridge' (in the reception area) and posting it with a magnet. Later, he sat down with her for a few minutes to talk about her day (like a family dinner chat). We had salad, wings, malts & shakes, child's burger, Giovanni Pasta, and Beef Stroganoff for $48 (MKC) pre-tip. Though the food was mediocre (can you say TV dinner?), the portions were huge. I got the 'open the hanger for the airplane' routine when I couldn't finish the BS.. I played along and the other diners had a chuckle. Oh yes, remember to ask permission to leave the table prior to going to the restroom...

7:30 Voyage of the Little Mermaid: This is not a little kid's show, at least not ours. It started out with great promise, the neon schools of fish were mezmorizing. The special effects fantastic. However, it quickly became the very loud, bright flash filled 'Trip of the Big, Nasty Ursula'. Danielle wanted out and was relieved when the show ended fairly shortly after starting, seemingly way under 15 minutes. Wait time was about 20 minutes. Effects an A+, content not liked by Danielle.

8:10 Bus back to DxL, no Sorcery in the Sky (why?): 15 minute wait for the bus which was packed to SRO.

Sad COTD: A young girl (7?) on the Dxl-to-EPCOT bus: "Dad, what are we going to see? Will Mickey be there?" The response from Dad "Ashley. I don't know anything. Your Mom doesn't know anything. Don't ask us any questions... None. When you get to the park find someone there who can answer them".

I hope that she grows up an inquisitive, friendly person in spite of him.

5/31

Out to South Depot at 6:45AM. Missed the first bus to MK by 200 yards as it came around 6:50. Caught the 2nd at 7:00, 15 riders total. The morning was very warm and humid.

Danielle & Ruth on to Dumbo (yes, again!) and I stopped by the Main Street Bakery for 2 croissants, a cinnamon bun, OJ and 2 cups of coffee for $10. Met the girls at Dumbo for breakfast, then we rode old big ears again.

Yep, IASW and the Carousel a few times again too, then off to shop. Good thing that WDW delivers to resort rooms! ;-v

Legend of the Lion King: Very well done, most enjoyable and easy to follow. Danielle sang the songs throughout. With about 15 minutes before showtime we were able to get within the first 20 in line.

Mad Tea Cups again, then off to Mickey's Toontown:

Toontown: Yaaaahoooo, maybe 30 - 40 people in the whole section and most seemed to be going in Mickey's house. The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm was Danielle's first roller coaster and she LOVED it. It's short but unexpectedly zippy. We went 3 times with no wait. Next, off to Mickey's Hall of Fame. Fun for Danielle and surprising to us that she not only 'knew' Mickey's Pals, but the Famous Faces and the Villains too. Make sure that you or your older child wear Mickey Ears when you go to see Donald Duck. His antics are hilariously in-character. No line took longer than 15 minutes.

On this day a new Toontown area opened. It's called Minnie's Hobbies and Crafts and is located in front of the Toontown train stop. What a blast for the kids and a nice break for the parents. Painting, drawing, games, hopscotch, climbing and the like with excellent CM Crafts Leaders, like Domin, leading the kids through the different activities. The perimeter is lined with benches just right for parents to sit under the covered area. The kids have their own 3PM parade through Toontown. We liked this addition and hope it lasts.

Donald's Boat: Off with the shoes and into the water! The day is very hot and this area is quite a relief. Ruth & I joined in the fun. Danielle made quick play friends and had a wet, fun time. Keep a close eye on the railing by the train stop. This area, populated by parents who think they are out of 'harms' way, gets a healthy shot of water from the boat every so often. The dousings are far enough apart that they catch folks unaware! Everyone, except that guy with all of the camera gear, took it in stride :-) Though wet, the day quickly dried us off. One note, it would be nice if separate areas were designated as 7- and 8+ (or if parents paid a little more attention) as we saw more than 1 toddler get run over by kids over 8.

Farmer's Market: Great to see the fresh fruit, juices and the like at this stand. OK, so they had (and I had) cappuccino too! A banana, water & hot dog (from a rolling stand) and Danielle was recharged.

At Noon we decided to take a round trip on the WDW railroad and it was worth the ride. The breeze helped keep you cool, the CM Engineer was full of fun WDW tidbits, and this was Danielle's first train ride. We all enjoyed the break from the sun, but what a difference 30 minutes made. Toontown was packed shoulder-to-shoulder when we got back, so out we headed... of course stopping in Tinkerbell's Tavern and Sir Mickey's for more shopping.

Again, no wait for the DxL bus (1:30). Danielle asleep within two minutes.

3:00, off to the Oak Manor pool for an hour.

5:15PM: Riverboats not running due to the threat of t-storms so we took the bus to DVM.

6:00PM dinner at Fulton's Crab House. Very nice setting and good service, but our food was not up to the billing (or the bill). Calamari, Caesar salad, kid's fish & chips, King Crab cakes, Copper Salmon & cappuccino for $86 pre-tip, plus several drinks at about $5 each. Our CM Waiter stated that the chef cooked the salmon 'medium-rare' and asked if that was OK with me. I replied yes, though I've never heard that term applied to fish. It came overly well done. The mashed potatoes and veggies could have been from a can. Everything else just satisfactory.

8:30PM arrival at MK for SpectroMagic, able to get about 3 bodies away from the curb in front of the WDW Railroad Station. Once again, the adults helped all small kids to the front. The parade was beautiful and well paced. Danielle waved to all of the characters, calling out their names. The characters did an excellent job of connecting with the masses and making eye contact with the kids. By Danielle's smile and energy, it was easy to see that she felt that the characters were directly responding to her waves and cheers. Great job to all!! And thanks to you for suggesting this spot. Not only was it near the beginning of the route but a quick U-turn took us to the front entrance and our bus (which filled to SRO for the trip back).

Suggestion OTD for WDW: At the beginning of each theater show there's a spiel on 'no food, no drinks, no smoking and move all the way down your isle". WDW needs to add verbiage like '...and please take your hat off as courtesy to those behind you'. Adults, male and female of all age groups, were wearing ball caps to sun hats when under the covered venues and also when in the inside, air conditioned ones. The strain imposed on those behind them was obvious (I didn't hesitate to tap on a shoulder and ask for removal). Very few venues have the Indiana Jones-like incline to make this a non-issue.

6/01

So we were late and didn't get to the South Depot until 6:58AM. We may have missed the first bus as the one we caught didn't arrive until 7:15AM. However, it got us to MGM at 7:30, just after the gates opened.

Star Tours: I went on alone and there were only 8 people on the ride. Fun and exhilarating, with a great touch of vertigo thrown in! I went again for kicks. On trip #2, there were several very young kids going in with their parents. The volume of this ride would have been a concern for me.

Muppetvision 3D: Again, 30 to 40 people at most in the theater and we had the pick of the seats (center of row 3). Excellent! Fantastic! A hit with Danielle! The 3D effects were great, Danielle kept trying to touch the various objects as they danced around the audience. Perfect for the kids; nothing overly startling or scary (back to the HISTA snake) and all with the familiar Henson muppets. Wish we'd gone again!

8:30AM.. had an 8:45 PS CB at The Soundstage and were seated almost upon check-in. What fun, and a good buffet line filled with fresh fruit, standard breakfast items and short lines (like 3 or 4 people at a time). The Genie, Jasmine, Aladdin , Meeko & Quasimodo doing the rounds, excellent as always. And Danielle was seriously bashful (picture a 5 year old blushing & eye batting) with Aladdin, but he joked right through it and she opened right up. And what class! Jasmine came back around about an hour after her first visit and immediately said "High again Danielle, how was breakfast?".. and here I was trying to give her cues that she'd been here already. There are many tables in The Soundstage and that type of effort is worth noting. Price $37 (MKC) pre-tip. Oh yes, CM Waiter Lucinda was very, very good with us all; even taking the extra step to go "upstairs" to get Ruth a Cafe Mocha though Ruth would have been happy with coffee (the Mocha *was* good, though). Danielle drew a picture for Lucinda, who posted it on a column. What a good time had by all

Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular: Seating started at 9:30 for the 10:00 show. Excellent, well designed venue (vs Backlot) with vertical supports blocking only views from the stairways. It was a fun show for all, if a little bit overstaged. The booms, bangs and explosions are not overbearing for the youngsters. Danielle was up clapping at the end of each stunt. Egress is tough when all (1000?, Kenny, how many does this seat?) try to leave via the same 2 exits at once. Be patient. Well done show!

Noon Disney Animation tour: Started poorly partly because our CM Tour Guide was acting like this was his 10,000th group of the day. First bored CM I've run into. Also, this was a Sunday and the Artists were not working, though I found the office layout and desk setups interesting. The video on animation artistry was very good and the one on Disney animation history was OK (did they have to focus on Bambi's Mom?) Serious debate if this was worth the 30 minute wait and being crammed into the small entry room for another 10 minutes. Maybe on a weekday.

1:00PM: Serious looking clouds closing in so we head back to DxL. Bus wait was 5 minutes, only 11 on the bus. Stopped by DxL Cotton Mill to get food to carry back to room (Danielle's sleeping). Chicken Caesar salad, kid's macaroni & cheese, cherry Jell-O, a Rice Krispy treat, 2 key lime pie slices (good!), grapefruit juice and 2 bottled waters for $22. Danielle's review: Skip the M&C, it tasted like cardboard. All else OK.

1:30 - 3:00 Tornado Watch and very heavy rain.

Rains continued on & off so we explored the gameroom, bought trinkets & gifts in the DxL gift shop, flattened a few pennies then explored the grounds. With the threat of weather, we decide to stay around DxL. Even got a little swim in the Oak Manor pool late afternoon but the return of distant thunder drove us out. Sassagoula Pizza Express delivery for dinner, charged to the room. The pepperoni & mushroom pizza and the salads were better than our average experience.

Called Mears to schedule tomorrow's pick-up... must we really leave?

6/02

Sleeping until 8AM seems way too late! One call to the Valet and our bag pick-up was scheduled (no need to be in the room when they come). Express checkout was on the outside doorknob as promised so no need to wait in line.

Breakfast at the Cotton Mill consisting of Mickey shaped pancakes and regularly shaped waffles, bacon, juice, blueberry muffins and a bottomless cup of decent coffee.

At 10:30 we went out and got our bags from the valet, who placed them on the curb where he said Mears would park. The 11AM Mears shuttle pulled in at 10:58. You have to stay on your toes to make sure that you hear the driver ask "Anyone for the 11AM to the airport?" Even though you called Mears, the driver does not have a list of names that are expected to ride this route. 20 minutes later we were at the airport.

Think the rest of the day was 'blue',...naaah. We laughed and revisted the park many time in our words, thoughts and continuous IASW hum. It was the next day (with my *inlaws*) that was depressing. I wrote this part w/o Ruth. JUST KIDDING, they are great folks!

Take care, thanks for putting up with this thread. See you again next year.

Mike Jones

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