Mendelson
03-28-2010, 03:15 PM
I was at WDW on 3/11-3/13 for a trip that was too short but very affordable…Disney brought me down as part of a FAM (familiarization trip), where they hosted about 30 people from around the country to show us what great conference facilities they have and how they can add all kinds of Disney magic to conferences/meeting/events. All on their dime, so it was pretty great. Unfortunately, neither my wife nor daughter could join me, but that just meant I had to have fun for three.
No expense was spared! I was picked up by my own Mears towncar and had a great chat with my driver on the way to Coronado. Upon arrival the obsequiousness started and I was whisked away in a golf cart to a welcome suite they had for us and was checked into my room while I enjoyed some beverages, delicious fresh-baked cookies and those Mickey-shaped rice krispie treats dipped in chocolate. I chatted with my sales rep for awhile and he asked me to check back in around 1:30 (it was 12) when his other client got there and he’d take us for lunch.
With no ticket, I figured I’d do a visit to the monorail resorts, so I bussed over to MK and then rode over to the Poly and got out and looked around there, my first time to really explore this place….such a nice resort. And when you enter from the monorail level….there’s that smell. An earthy, chocolate/coffee kinda smell that I guess comes from Kone Café? Anyway, made it back to CS after a little bit and the other client still wasn’t there. My sales guy felt bad about me sitting around and asked me if I’d like a ticket…well, of course! I had about three hours to kill before dinner so I decided to go to MK.
They had brought an umbrella to my room cause it was drizzling, but of course I forgot it. Unfortunately at the bus stop we had to wait 45 minutes (no exaggeration) for an MK bus. I thought it was funny that two for Typhoon Lagoon came by on this cool, rainy day before an MK one came! That was a bit frustrating, but I made pals with a young lady also waiting for a bus who is a singer/songwriter from Memphis and who was quite pleasant….so ya know…silver linings.
People getting off the bus told us ominously that 60-mph winds and hail and maybe a tornado were heading for MK. This quickly turned into the people loading the bus to tell each other that MK was closing….ahh, nothing like watching the way people spread bad information like a virus for pure, dismaying entertainment.
I will say, however, that as I entered the park, rain did begin to fall in sheets. Like, 600-thread count sheets…drops so heavy and numerous that they almost stung. The good news was that the park was emptying. The bad news was that with a recent lightning sighting, outdoor rides was closed so everyone was packed into the indoor rides….also, recall, that I was without umbrella. I refused to buy a $7 piece of plastic they call a poncho, so I walked through the ocean of rain, undaunted, soaked to the bone.
My first ride was Pirates. Splash was closed so then I went to Small World and then Philharmagic. My real goal for the day was to get a Dole Whip float, perhaps my favorite thing to consume here, but I kept waiting for the rain to slow up a bit. Everytime I left a ride, however, it seemed to have gotten worse. In fact, there were lines to get OUT of rides, as people would queue up at the exit, hesitating to venture out or fumbling with ponchos, umbrellas, etc.
Finally I made to Adventure Aisle and got my float…I stood shivering in the seating area just to the right of Adventure Aisle (as you face it), enjoying the tangy goodness. A cast member came by and noted I looked cold. I said that being wet for so long and going onto rides with AC was not a good thing when it was 60 degrees out….she asked, “So how is that ice cream helping?” I laughed but explained I just had to have one of those delights. I did Buzz and Space (I miss the cookie!) and then headed back for the hotel.
A couple consequences from being so wet: I had packed one pair of shoes… a pair of boat shoes/loafers that I wear with no socks. They were 100 percent saturated. They would not be dry until days after I returned home. Also, my fairly new and fancy phone conked out on me. It works as a phone, but the display screen is blank. This meant no pics to be sending home to the fam. :( My wife later asked why I didn’t get a locker or poncho and I explained that they charge an arm and a leg for them and she rightly pointed out that either would have been cheaper than a new phone. :unsure:
Dinner that night was on site and the food was terrific. At dinner I think Disney staff outnumbered we attendees about 1.5 to 1, but it was nice to meet so many people and get to know my visiting colleagues, as well. We had filled out info sheets about ourselves ahead of time with questions that I thought were odd and far-ranging. Little did I know they would be used against us! There was one guy who went around with a guitar, singing songs to people, incorporating their personal info. It was quite clever, I must say, and he committed at least a dozen to memory. When he got to me, I paid with some embarrassment for indicating on my form that Princess Jasmine was my favorite Disney character. :blush:
Day 2 next…..
No expense was spared! I was picked up by my own Mears towncar and had a great chat with my driver on the way to Coronado. Upon arrival the obsequiousness started and I was whisked away in a golf cart to a welcome suite they had for us and was checked into my room while I enjoyed some beverages, delicious fresh-baked cookies and those Mickey-shaped rice krispie treats dipped in chocolate. I chatted with my sales rep for awhile and he asked me to check back in around 1:30 (it was 12) when his other client got there and he’d take us for lunch.
With no ticket, I figured I’d do a visit to the monorail resorts, so I bussed over to MK and then rode over to the Poly and got out and looked around there, my first time to really explore this place….such a nice resort. And when you enter from the monorail level….there’s that smell. An earthy, chocolate/coffee kinda smell that I guess comes from Kone Café? Anyway, made it back to CS after a little bit and the other client still wasn’t there. My sales guy felt bad about me sitting around and asked me if I’d like a ticket…well, of course! I had about three hours to kill before dinner so I decided to go to MK.
They had brought an umbrella to my room cause it was drizzling, but of course I forgot it. Unfortunately at the bus stop we had to wait 45 minutes (no exaggeration) for an MK bus. I thought it was funny that two for Typhoon Lagoon came by on this cool, rainy day before an MK one came! That was a bit frustrating, but I made pals with a young lady also waiting for a bus who is a singer/songwriter from Memphis and who was quite pleasant….so ya know…silver linings.
People getting off the bus told us ominously that 60-mph winds and hail and maybe a tornado were heading for MK. This quickly turned into the people loading the bus to tell each other that MK was closing….ahh, nothing like watching the way people spread bad information like a virus for pure, dismaying entertainment.
I will say, however, that as I entered the park, rain did begin to fall in sheets. Like, 600-thread count sheets…drops so heavy and numerous that they almost stung. The good news was that the park was emptying. The bad news was that with a recent lightning sighting, outdoor rides was closed so everyone was packed into the indoor rides….also, recall, that I was without umbrella. I refused to buy a $7 piece of plastic they call a poncho, so I walked through the ocean of rain, undaunted, soaked to the bone.
My first ride was Pirates. Splash was closed so then I went to Small World and then Philharmagic. My real goal for the day was to get a Dole Whip float, perhaps my favorite thing to consume here, but I kept waiting for the rain to slow up a bit. Everytime I left a ride, however, it seemed to have gotten worse. In fact, there were lines to get OUT of rides, as people would queue up at the exit, hesitating to venture out or fumbling with ponchos, umbrellas, etc.
Finally I made to Adventure Aisle and got my float…I stood shivering in the seating area just to the right of Adventure Aisle (as you face it), enjoying the tangy goodness. A cast member came by and noted I looked cold. I said that being wet for so long and going onto rides with AC was not a good thing when it was 60 degrees out….she asked, “So how is that ice cream helping?” I laughed but explained I just had to have one of those delights. I did Buzz and Space (I miss the cookie!) and then headed back for the hotel.
A couple consequences from being so wet: I had packed one pair of shoes… a pair of boat shoes/loafers that I wear with no socks. They were 100 percent saturated. They would not be dry until days after I returned home. Also, my fairly new and fancy phone conked out on me. It works as a phone, but the display screen is blank. This meant no pics to be sending home to the fam. :( My wife later asked why I didn’t get a locker or poncho and I explained that they charge an arm and a leg for them and she rightly pointed out that either would have been cheaper than a new phone. :unsure:
Dinner that night was on site and the food was terrific. At dinner I think Disney staff outnumbered we attendees about 1.5 to 1, but it was nice to meet so many people and get to know my visiting colleagues, as well. We had filled out info sheets about ourselves ahead of time with questions that I thought were odd and far-ranging. Little did I know they would be used against us! There was one guy who went around with a guitar, singing songs to people, incorporating their personal info. It was quite clever, I must say, and he committed at least a dozen to memory. When he got to me, I paid with some embarrassment for indicating on my form that Princess Jasmine was my favorite Disney character. :blush:
Day 2 next…..