More Memories: My 6th PassPorter Trip Report - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Travelers: Winston Chapman (WDW veteran and writer of this report) & Jarrod Young (a friend and co-worker)
Hotel: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Celebrations: None at all - it was just time to go back, and my AP was burning a hole in my pocket!
Prologue:
This trip was a short one, and thus this trip report won't be particularly long-winded. I'm also awful about writing things down, so the details tend to run together after a while. I really need to use my PassPorter to keep up with everything that happens on these trips!
So, I originally intended this trip to be a solo venture. My S.O. was out of town for a couple of weeks on a family vacation, and I had that WDW itch, so I figured a few days on my own might be a good thing. As an AP holder, I was encouraged by the current discounts, and I managed to score 42% off a garden wing room at the CR. About a month ago, I was talking about my plans with a co-worker (i.e. Jarrod) who is also a bit of a WDW junkie, and I asked if he might want to tag along. He jumped at the chance, and we both cleared some time off once the dates were set.
One minor snag: Jarrod is in college and was scheduled to take a test at 5:30pm the day we were leaving. Now, the drive from Atlanta to WDW is just seven hours, but a late departure would mean a very late arrival in the area. On top of that, we wanted to get an early start the next morning to maximize our time in the parks, so we needed to find a basic (i.e. cheap) motel where we could catch a nap and shower. I found a fleabag on 192 that fit the bill nicely!
So, our plans were straightforward. We'd drive from Atlanta after Jarrod's test, catch some in the fleabag, check in at the CR the next morning for a 3-night stay, grab a park-hopper pass for Jarrod, and hit the parks. No dining reservations, no set itinerary, no room requests, and no plans other than having a great time!
More to come...
__________________
Walt Disney World has become a touchstone for me, a constant in a world where everything changes. Again and again I have come back to this place, grounding myself, communing with all the people I've been.
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Travelers: Winston Chapman (WDW veteran and writer of this report) & Jarrod Young (a friend and co-worker)
Hotel: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Celebrations: None at all - it was just time to go back, and my AP was burning a hole in my pocket!
Day 0 - 03/31/2011
This day, a Thursday, started like most others: I was off to my part-time gig at 8:00am, and then I headed to my office after grabbing a quick lunch. It was my intention to stay just a few minutes, tie up some loose ends, and head home to pack followed by a nap. However, I ended up staying there for over an hour talking on the phone, scheduling appointments, and sending some last-minute emails. I had to stop by the bank on the way home, but I finally got back to my place to face a nearly empty suitcase and a condo that could use a thorough cleaning! With just enough time for the former, I packed enough clothes to last a long weekend and tried to settle down for a nap.
Does anyone else here find it impossible to sleep prior to a WDW trip? My afternoon nap consisted mostly of my trying to doze off at a time when I'm rarely (if ever) sleepy, just before heading to my favorite place on the planet! I'll just say that not much happened, but laying down for a couple of hours didn't hurt, since I had a long drive ahead later that night.
I got up, showered, dressed, and zipped up the suitcase while waiting for Jarrod to call. I own a small business, and it never sleeps (no complaints!), so I made sure to bring my iPad and iPhone so I could stay connected while at WDW. I also made sure to turn off some of the circuit breakers, take out the trash, and do a last-minute check. Jarrod arrived at my place around 6:45pm, and we were on the road toward Orlando about 15 minutes later.
The drive was uneventful, but in a good way! We stopped at a fast-food joint for dinner and one other time for gas, but otherwise we stayed the course. I-75 south took us to Florida's Turnpike which led us to the new(ish) Western Expressway and finally to US192.
Around 2:00am, we pulled into the parking lot of the Motel 6 Maingate West, located on US192 less than a mile from the intersection with World Drive. I picked this place based on its price ($30 ), location, and TripAdvisor reviews. Because we needed the room for just a very few hours, I couldn't justify spending $50, $60, or more on a higher end property. All we really needed was a clean room with a couple of beds and a shower, and I'm happy to report that we got exactly that! The room was extremely basic and quite small, but it was spotless and the beds were comfortable (although after a long drive that ended at 2:00 in the morning, I don't think I would've noticed otherwise). The night clerk was friendly and efficient, and while the exterior of the motel does have a bit to be desired , this place served its purpose perfectly. If you're ever in a similar situation to ours, I'd recommend it.
Well, that's day 0. Not too exciting, but the drive down usually isn't. Atlanta is the closest I've ever lived to WDW, and I'm lucky for that. Nashville (where I grew up) is over ten hours away, and Birmingham (where I once lived) is almost as far, so being able to do the drive in seven hours or so is a big deal to me. While we were at WDW, we saw a lot of plates from PA, NY, NJ, VT, etc. I don't know how you guys do it, especially with kids in the car!
Next up: check-in at the CR a full day (I do mean full!) at MK
__________________
Walt Disney World has become a touchstone for me, a constant in a world where everything changes. Again and again I have come back to this place, grounding myself, communing with all the people I've been.
Great start Winston! I'm excited to read another one of your Trip Reports! I'm glad the drive was uneventful and your first night lodging was not scary!
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No ADR's, no itinerary, and no room requests! Oh my, now that's living on the edge..... Glad the fleabag motel turned out to be decent. Sometimes you never know. Looking forward to your MK day!!
__________________
Tanya
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Travelers: Winston Chapman (WDW veteran and writer of this report) & Jarrod Young (a friend and co-worker)
Hotel: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Celebrations: None at all - it was just time to go back, and my AP was burning a hole in my pocket!
Day 1 - 04/01/2011
Jarrod and I got an early start this morning after sleeping for a very few hours at the Motel 6. Fortunately, I woke up on my own and realized that I set my iPhone alarm incorrectly before I went to bed. Oh well - there was still time for a shower before we vacated the room. As I said in my previous post, this motel was a far cry from any WDW resort, but it served its purpose just fine.
I love the drive into WDW. I always get on World Drive from US192 to get the full experience! The front gates, road signs, the giant billboards advertising ToT and ITTBaB, and finally the MK toll plaza - where I first drove through with my parents when I was still in a stroller on our way to the Polynesian Village. So many memories.
A CM waved us through the toll plaza and we made our way to the CR where we received our parking pass from security. After parking and getting out our suitcases, we made our way to the lobby. I could hear the sounds of the MK's opening ceremonies in the distance. I had hoped to be at the MK to catch it, but it wasn't meant to be.
Check-in was a breeze. The front desk CM was cheerful and efficient, which I always appreciate. We didn't receive an upgrade this time, but our room was ready! Keep in mind that it was just a little after 8:00am at this point, and I was thrilled that we could head to the room, unpack, and decide what to do next. I was expecting to hear "your room isn't ready yet, but we can store your luggage and send you a message once it's been serviced." Definitely a nice surprise!
I had reserved a garden view room in the 3-story garden wing of the CR, and that's exactly what we got. This was my third stay at the CR, and the two previous times I was in the tower with a theme park view, so this would be different (and thankfully cheaper!) than my previous experiences. Our room had a view of Bay Lake partially obstructed by some trees. We were on the third floor, so no balcony, but I could prop up in bed and have a perfect view of the resort launches and other watercraft coming and going on the lake - lovely! As expected, the room was spacious and well appointed, with two queen beds, a daybed, plenty of lighting, a fridge, and a room safe. I love the bathrooms at the CR: very cool square sinks, a separate toilet area, and lots of towels and washcloths. Our room was a good hike from the main entrance to the garden wing, so we got our share of exercise anytime we went out. Vending and ice machines were plentiful, though we could find just one elevator in the building.
Once we were unpacked and our electronics were in the safe, we headed back to the tower for our first monorail ride of the trip and a full day at MK, including Dole Whips for breakfast.
More to come...
__________________
Walt Disney World has become a touchstone for me, a constant in a world where everything changes. Again and again I have come back to this place, grounding myself, communing with all the people I've been.
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in the fleabag, check in at the CR the next morning for a 3-night stay, grab a park-hopper pass for Jarrod, and hit the parks. No dining reservations, no set itinerary, no room requests, and no plans other than having a great time!
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), location, and 
All we really needed was a clean room with a couple of beds and a shower, and I'm happy to report that we got exactly that! The room was extremely basic and quite small, but it was spotless and the beds were comfortable (although after a long drive that ended at 2:00 in the morning, I don't think I would've noticed otherwise). The night clerk was friendly and efficient, and while the exterior of the motel does have a bit to be desired 
Glad the fleabag motel turned out to be decent. Sometimes you never know. Looking forward to your MK day!!
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