brad192
10-18-2007, 12:36 PM
Hello out there to all in Intercot land! Well, I’m back in the real world once more, sitting in my pathetic little cube at work trying to adjust to the fact that I actually have to earn a living once more, after a phenomenal trip! Ahh yes, the trip…
7 glorious days in the warm Florida sun, meeting a whole lot of wonderful, fun people who “get it” just like me, riding rides, seeing shows, eating enormous amounts of food, and having a GREAT time. I said to myself before I left on this trip “Self, you really, really need this trip”, and boy was I right! As I sit here writing this, I feel quite, for lack of a better term, content. 3 years is way too long to go without a vacation, let alone a vacation to WDW. I’ll never make that mistake again!:nono:
:thumbsup:A big, BIG thank you to John & everyone for putting the meet together so well! I had a great time with all you folks, and certainly will try to make any future meets that come along. Another big thank you to the sponsors for their contributions in making things even more magical than I could have hoped for. Anyway, on with the show….
Day 1 – Tuesday 10/9 - Travel & Arrival at Pop Century
Arose at 8AM after a fitful night’s sleep (too excited), got ready quickly & ran thru my packing checklist once more to make sure I had everything. Closed up the suitcase & took a picture of it just in case DME had a hiccup with my luggage. I still had about 30 mins before I needed to leave for the airport, so I slammed a couple cups of coffee down & played with the cats, as they wouldn’t see me for over a week. Finally, time to go!
Got to DTW about 11AM, checked in for my flight & went thru security with no problem. Since I hadn’t had anything solid to eat yet, decided to grab a bite on the way to my gate. Stopped at a McD’s & got a Big Mac & small drink - $5.38! That’s just plain crazy. Tasted good though. We boarded right on time, and backed away from the gate precisely at 1:34PM, our scheduled departure time. The flight down was uneventful, except for a little boy across the aisle from me who simply was having a bad day & could not be consoled. :fit: He finally nodded off about 45 mins before landing, to the delight of his mom, grandmother, and everyone around him. Landed at 4:15PM & found my way to the DME desk, and was on the bus in about 3 minutes. Of course, then we had to wait 30 minutes before leaving for the resorts, but I had a great conversation with DME driver Bill while waiting. He was a nice, friendly guy formerly from Minnesota who was quite interested in Intercot & the meet we had planned.
The drive took about 30 minutes, and Pop was the first stop – Yay! Practically leapt off the bus ( I’m finally here!) & got in line to check in. It took about 30 minutes to heck in, as there were about 10 people ahead of me, but once I got to the counter Angelita was quite efficient, helpful, and friendly. Scored a near perfect room in the ‘50’s section, 3434, top floor, away from the pools, with a view of the lake & the Epcot geosphere (and fireworks). Only a 3 or 4 minute walk to the food court too! Got to the room & found a little towel dog waiting for me in the window. :dog: He would be the only one I received all week, but he would find his way to different spots in the room all week long. He ended up stowing away in my suitcase & coming home with me. Probably because I named him Ralph. He looks like a Ralph. Anyway, I settled into the room, headed down to the food court for dinner – steak & cheese wrap, fries, chili, and an iced tea – all OK but unremarkable. Grabbed my refillable mug on the way out & briefly reconned the gift shop for future purchases during the week, then headed back to the room for a little resort TV & an early (for me) bedtime of 10PM, as I knew Wednesday would be a long one. Tomorrow is MK in the morning, to honor tradition, Epcot in the afternoon, then Kona for dinner & back to MK for after dark magic! Day 2 coming soon!
7 glorious days in the warm Florida sun, meeting a whole lot of wonderful, fun people who “get it” just like me, riding rides, seeing shows, eating enormous amounts of food, and having a GREAT time. I said to myself before I left on this trip “Self, you really, really need this trip”, and boy was I right! As I sit here writing this, I feel quite, for lack of a better term, content. 3 years is way too long to go without a vacation, let alone a vacation to WDW. I’ll never make that mistake again!:nono:
:thumbsup:A big, BIG thank you to John & everyone for putting the meet together so well! I had a great time with all you folks, and certainly will try to make any future meets that come along. Another big thank you to the sponsors for their contributions in making things even more magical than I could have hoped for. Anyway, on with the show….
Day 1 – Tuesday 10/9 - Travel & Arrival at Pop Century
Arose at 8AM after a fitful night’s sleep (too excited), got ready quickly & ran thru my packing checklist once more to make sure I had everything. Closed up the suitcase & took a picture of it just in case DME had a hiccup with my luggage. I still had about 30 mins before I needed to leave for the airport, so I slammed a couple cups of coffee down & played with the cats, as they wouldn’t see me for over a week. Finally, time to go!
Got to DTW about 11AM, checked in for my flight & went thru security with no problem. Since I hadn’t had anything solid to eat yet, decided to grab a bite on the way to my gate. Stopped at a McD’s & got a Big Mac & small drink - $5.38! That’s just plain crazy. Tasted good though. We boarded right on time, and backed away from the gate precisely at 1:34PM, our scheduled departure time. The flight down was uneventful, except for a little boy across the aisle from me who simply was having a bad day & could not be consoled. :fit: He finally nodded off about 45 mins before landing, to the delight of his mom, grandmother, and everyone around him. Landed at 4:15PM & found my way to the DME desk, and was on the bus in about 3 minutes. Of course, then we had to wait 30 minutes before leaving for the resorts, but I had a great conversation with DME driver Bill while waiting. He was a nice, friendly guy formerly from Minnesota who was quite interested in Intercot & the meet we had planned.
The drive took about 30 minutes, and Pop was the first stop – Yay! Practically leapt off the bus ( I’m finally here!) & got in line to check in. It took about 30 minutes to heck in, as there were about 10 people ahead of me, but once I got to the counter Angelita was quite efficient, helpful, and friendly. Scored a near perfect room in the ‘50’s section, 3434, top floor, away from the pools, with a view of the lake & the Epcot geosphere (and fireworks). Only a 3 or 4 minute walk to the food court too! Got to the room & found a little towel dog waiting for me in the window. :dog: He would be the only one I received all week, but he would find his way to different spots in the room all week long. He ended up stowing away in my suitcase & coming home with me. Probably because I named him Ralph. He looks like a Ralph. Anyway, I settled into the room, headed down to the food court for dinner – steak & cheese wrap, fries, chili, and an iced tea – all OK but unremarkable. Grabbed my refillable mug on the way out & briefly reconned the gift shop for future purchases during the week, then headed back to the room for a little resort TV & an early (for me) bedtime of 10PM, as I knew Wednesday would be a long one. Tomorrow is MK in the morning, to honor tradition, Epcot in the afternoon, then Kona for dinner & back to MK for after dark magic! Day 2 coming soon!