FL here we come...

[cshollingsworth]

Well guys...I finally decided to share some concrete information with you.

Keep the applause low (or the boos) as to not startle me, please. :tongue:

Don, myself and my mother are on our way to Disney in Orlando,FL February 3-8th. It's official. Don got the plans settled today and we have tickets, flight tickets, hotel rooms at the Swan and Dolphin Resort, and all is in place. Now we just have to tick it off on the calendar.

We finally put those unused SWA credits to use that I had left over from my scrubbed trip to Philly.

I'm serious...if one thing has came from my fathers passing, it's the very fact that I realize no matter how safe you think you are being or how many risky activities you think you are steering clear of, when your time is up...it's up. If he would have been sitting on a plane at 9 p.m. that Monday night, he would have died then too. But not because of a crash...but rather his heart just simply stopped working.

I think his sudden death in the safe confines of his own home literally slapped me into a realm of understanding that I have somehow avoided. I am now convinced that you cannot run from death.

I'll be lurking as always between now and then, posting a little here and there. And I honestly have to say, this is one time that I laid eyes on an itinerary and I didn't get that gut-wrentching sick feeling that I used to get. It just wasn't there anymore. I'm hoping that it's a sign of my being on the road to recovery...we all know it's about time!:tiphat:

[WillFlyToDisney]

Walt Disney World is my favorite place on the planet. You'll have a blast!

Are you staying at The Swan OR The Dolphin? They are 2 separate resorts although they are right next to each other. Any reason why you chose to stay there instead of in a Disney resort?

The kids and I are going to Disney with their Godmother in January - too bad we will miss you!

[StPeteMark]

Since we have said about about all we can, here's a big :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: for you!

SPMark :) :) :)
.

[cshollingsworth]

We are staying at that particular resort because that is where Don's company is staying during that time. It is his annual Expo meeting there. Last year it was in San Diego when I went with him, so this year, it's on another coast.

Kelley, have you stayed at either of those places? They look nice from the information package that I looked at yesterday. I checked it out online too and it seemed nice.

I read the weather is between 50-70 or so there during the month of February. I was hoping it might be a tad warmer, but that is OK. Probably still warming than TN in Feb. Brr...

My mom is 60 years old and has never been to Disney...has wanted to go for years and years...just to see Epcot. So, I told her that we were taking her with us and that was that. She is as excited as a kid to be going. :D

[EyesSkyward]

hotel rooms at the Swan and Dolphin Resort

Cool! I went to a conference earlier this year that was partially in those hotels. Pretty swanky digs!

Here's a I picture I took, to get you psyched up. :cool:

- Jeff

[Lynda]

Courtney, We will just miss you, we arrive on the 8th! maybe cross at the airport.

Kelley, Nooooooo not January you need to go February!!! 8th - 22nd.:) :)

[cshollingsworth]

We are leaving at 10:35 a.m. on Feb. 8th from Orlando back to BNA...what time do you arrive on the 8th? Maybe I can wave at you while you stand in the security line or something! :D

[cshollingsworth]

Cool! I went to a conference earlier this year that was partially in those hotels. Pretty swanky digs!

Here's a I picture I took, to get you psyched up. :cool:

- Jeff

Hi Jeff...did you think the hotel was nice enough? I read some reviews that said the rooms smelled moldy???? Hmm...hope not! It looks too nice to have musty rooms!

[Lynda]

We arrive around 2.30 pm after our 9 hour flight!:)

[cshollingsworth]

Lynda...

Well, if nothing else, I'll be thinking about you guys when we head back home. :)

[WillFlyToDisney]

Hi Jeff...did you think the hotel was nice enough? I read some reviews that said the rooms smelled moldy???? Hmm...hope not! It looks too nice to have musty rooms!

I have never stayed overnight there but I have been inside both resorts dozens of times.

Both hotels are sinking at the rate of I believe a half inch a year. Yes there are some big issues with mold in those resorts - that is why I wondered why you chose them. Check out www.disboards.com (http://www.disboards.com) and do a search and you will find some more info and guest reviews about the Swan and Dolphin. Seems there are certain areas of the hotel that are not as affected as others. There is also a huge fan club of these 2 resorts called "the Swan and Dolphin cheerleaders" that I am sure know more about these hotels then the people who work there!

I was a Cast Member at Disney when those resorts were built. There was a huge uproar over the placement of them since they completely broke up the theming from World Showcase at EPCOT Center.

We are staying at a Disney Vacation Club resort in a 2 bedroom condo when we go. Sorry, Lynda. We are going for my oldest daughter's birthday so I can't postpone the trip.

Kelley

[cshollingsworth]

Kelley,

Thanks for the info. on those two hotels. The thoughts of a mold problem does not sound too great to me. :( Don and I both have allergies and I have asthma, so mold is a huge thing for me.

Normally when the NTCA chooses hotels, they choose great ones. I've never stayed in a trashy one yet. Normally, there are about 5,000 people who attend these telephone events, so they try and pick large hotels that can accomodate, sometimes, they have to pick 2 hotels near each other to get us all in.

I guess we're stuck there no matter though...but at least the good news is we normally are not in our room much at all. I know that when Don is in meetings, mom and I will be exploring Epcot and the other stuff there. We were told the NTCA had a special rate on tickets, but their cost is the same as the regular price on the Disney web site. Go figure. :rolleyes: Well, if the room is too cruddy, Don won't hesitate to request being moved. You should have seen him calling the front desk in Hilton Head the night we saw 2 of those gigantic palmetto bugs in our room. :tongue:

[EyesSkyward]

I didn't stay there, but that's where the main part of the conference was. I didn't know they had a mold problems. Yikes! (The posts at tripadvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34515-d84907-r6127480-Walt_Disney_World_Swan_Resort-Orlando_Florida.html) corroborate it.)

I stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort, which was actually quite nice, if not exactly elegant. As part of the conference, they gave the attendees free run of Animal Kingdom, after the park had closed to the public. I rode the Mount Everest ride twice. :cool:

- Jeff

[cshollingsworth]

I don't think the NTCA has anything like that planned for us. I hadn't heard about us getting to ride anything or do anything after it's closed. I guess we are stuck with a 2 day pass for $132 smackers. :eek: Well, I figure in 2 days my legs will be killing me anyway so that should get me $132 bucks worth.

I looked on TripAdvisor and yeah, it talks about mold a LOT. Geesh...Somehow I was afraid that Disney would be an experience like this. You take all the traffic they get through there and you have to get major, major wear and tear on the hotel. Wonder where the moldy smell comes from? Bad AC, maybe? :confused:

[WillFlyToDisney]

WHOA don't blame Disney! These 2 hotels are not Disney owned or operated. The Swan and The Dolphin are operated by Sheraton and Westin. They lease the land from Disney and pay a fee for the use of Disney transportation for their guests but they are in no way Disney resorts.

I am sure if you do some research you can find which areas of the hotels are least likely to have mold issues so you can call ahead and request a room in those areas.

Like you said though, you aren't in the room enough to worry about it anyway.

Have a blast at Disney!

[cshollingsworth]

Ah ha...so Westin is the culprit here. Looks like if they are going to be that close to Disney, they would try to keep up, doesn't it?

OK, so I'm not going to judge it till I get there. I've heard good things about hotels then gone there only to find problems myself. Like, we heard LOTS of great things about the hotel we stayed at in Hilton Head. Well, we got there and we had no hot water in our shower, a stinky view of the parking lot, only about 10 channels on our t.v. (no CNN...oh my!) and the room wasn't cleaned until late in the day. The bugs were another story all on their own, but other than that, all was well.