Keane's August 2011 Trip, Part 2
"It Was Hot, Then It Rained, Repeat Tomorrow"
Please see Part 1 for cast and plot summary...
Day 1, August 16th. Arrival!
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Mileage: 368
Moving time: 5:03
Moving avg: 73
Stopped: 12:11
Overall avg: 70
Total time: 5:15
Karen wants to route me down the road a little further while I'm waiting at the light to turn left into CSR. I shut her up and turn her off. I have arrived. Again!
Went to Registration, only to find there's a huge line. Must have arrived just after an ME bus. So I turned around and checked the place out. Went for a quick walk through of Panchito's (the gift shop), and am sad to report that there was no resort merchandise to be had. Except for a pin. I refused. (Complained about it in the post-stay postcard survey I got again. One of the new push-button entries when complaining about problems with merchandising at the resort, is that there was no resort specific merchandise. Perhaps they are listening.)
Next to the gift shop is Cafe Rix, a new counter/quick service (at least new since I was here six years ago), clearly too small for a resort the size of CSR. Well, I can investigate later, time to bite the bullet and get used to standing in a line.
Got back to registration, and yes, there's still a line. Oh well, it's shorter. I note that no one seems to be speaking English. Sure that I'm overdrawn on my 30-minute check-in parking space, I finally get my turn. I'm shown my balance on a calculator again, and ask why. I'm told it's for privacy and to make sure there're no mistakes. Like that would stop a stupid guest...
I'm in Casitas 4. Not exactly close to El Centro (the lobby/food area of CSR), but not the worst, either. Last time I was here I was in Casitas 2, which wasn't too bad, how bad could it be? Ummm... Fourth floor? There's a building around here with four floors?
Not only is there a building with four floors, but once again I am the second to the furthest room from the elevator. Oh well, that's what you get when you only pay for the cheap seats. At least there's an elevator. (There must be a flag in my Disney file that says to put me in the next to last room from the elevator, this is the third time...)
I'm in room 4466, and even though I paid for a standard room, I've got a King bed/Lake view room. Very nice. I wasn't told I was getting an upgrade, but it's definitely an upgrade. Almost makes up for the extra distance I have to walk. A scarecrow towel figure greets me by the TV.
I take pics of the room before giving it that lived in look, then take the walk back to start unloading the car. My folding two wheeler is probably one of the best travel investments I've made, it makes moving into hotels/resorts so much easier...
I hydrate, a standard thing to do when I get to WDW, and then decide to get a bite to eat.
I get to El Centro, and retake some pictures using a far superior camera compared to the G2 I had in 2005. There is a hidden mickey in plain sight here, only noticeable when I was playing with the exposures on my camera.
Pics around Casitas and El Centro
I wander into Cafe Rix, and there's a line to get food. sigh. The Cuban looks tempting, but the last Cuban I had was at Commissary lane in DMGM, and it was a retched excuse for a pig sandwich. I get it anyway. It looks better than the Pizzas, and I had burgers on the way down. Rather than fries, you get chips. I remember saying the Disney branded chips taste a lot like Lay's Kettle Chips, and sure enough, the chips that come with the food are Lay's Kettle Chips, taken from Lay's generic food service bags.
Darned if the sandwich wasn't good. It was much better than the one in DMGM. I'd have it again if I was in a hurry. Your mileage may vary.
Jenny's helping a tremendous amount by texting me where she, Cathy and the BYPT are. They're not even at Tampa yet, so I try to get some sleep. It's been a long day. I might have gotten a half-hour or so, and during that time, I hear thunder, and it rains. Hmmmm... How familiar. In 2005 (the last time was there) I seem to remember the same thing.
If you're not familiar with a normal Summer In Florida, here's how it works (from worst to best).
1) There could be a serious tropical depression. You know, hurricanes and tropical storms.
2) It could just rain. For minutes or days. Just because.
3) Almost every afternoon, the heat from the sun provides enough energy for the clouds to push their way up into the cooler upper atmosphere, causing water to condense and fall, otherwise known as rain. Not all over, but in relatively small, intense cells. Just look for the clouds to get real tall in the afternoon. Once the sun starts to set, the energy diminishes, and you get some pretty pleasant evenings, if the rain stops. Tomorrow morning, it will be hot and sunny, repeating the weather events of yesterday. If it's not hot, then you'll have fog, but trust me, it will get hot.
Anyway, it's always one of the three above in July and August. Today, it's number three.
About 9:15pm, Jenny texts that they're done with their Tampa stop and will go register and go directly to the food court. Okay, so the evil plan won't work. I'll wander over to El Centro and hunt them down when they get here.
Around 10pm, I get a text from Jenny that they, and the BYPT are lost. Apparently, they toured some other resort's parking lot. They finally get to the guard shack at CSR, and I leave for El Centro. I ask the guard if a BYPT came through, and he confirms it. I remember that I take a left into the parking lot, and find myself at the convention center. Hmmmm. Wrong turn. I explain this to the guard (you could see it, he thought "Ah, a stupid guest"), and go for try 2. I then see the sign that says the first turn takes you to the convention center, but it *is* dark now, and it was daylight when I did this earlier... Hey! At least I got the right resort.
A bedraggled Jenny and Cathy is just finishing up locking the truck when I pull up.
"Hi there! You look tired..."
There's a moral to this story. Invite me to Disney World, and I might just show up!
We dragged ourselves into El Centro (well, I walked, Jenny and Cathy dragged), Jenny registered without problem, then we went to Pepper Market for a late dinner. Jenny and I had the Rotisserie Chicken (breast was a little dry) and Cathy had the Chicken Quesadillas. I think.
Pics from outside my room at night, and Jenny and Cathy lose it
In any event, Jenny had upgraded from All Stars to a preferred room at CSR. Only room available. Maybe I took the last standard room... So their room is in Casitas 1, right on the parking lot. I'm jealous.
I load their luggage into my car, and deliver them to Casitas 1115, so they won't have to move the BYPT. I don't even get tipped. sigh.
End August 2011 Trip Report - Part 2.
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