Torture! My whole summer had been absolute torture! I knew I was going on a trip to Walt Disney World, but my last trip had been in April 1999, and since my 2000 trip wasn't until October, that made for an 18 month gap between trips. After the one-year anniversary of my last trip came and went in April 2000, I had an additional six months to wait for my next trip. And it was six months of torture!
April 1999 had been my first solo trip to Disney. It was a very special trip in many ways, filled with great memories and new experiences, but there were also things I regretted about that trip; I had learned from my mistakes, and would not repeat them on this year's trip. No, if I made any mistakes this year, I was sure, they would be all new and different mistakes than I had ever made before.
Still, I hoped to make no real mistakes. I had secured an excellent price for a rental car and airfare, and a great price on a hotel, thanks to an offer I got after staying at the Vistana resort in 1998. My only mistake thus far had been in accepting a non-refundable hotel package; I had booked a two-bedroom condo with the assurances from several friends that they would be coming along on my trip, but then they all canceled, leaving me to make another solo trip, and leaving me to pick up the tab for the hotel, too. But I really had gotten a great deal: a two-bedroom condo at a hotel called Parc Corniche, on International Drive South, for $99 a night.
My morning routine this day mimicked that of my last departure day, 18 months ago, almost exactly. I was taking the same flight, on the same airline, and renting a car from the same company, so I knew exactly what to expect, and how to get through it quickly.
Well, almost Disney. My first stop was a Welcome Center on SR192, where I traded my travel documents for a voucher to use at the hotel. My package had not been bought directly from the hotel, but from a travel company that deals with many hotels in the Lake Buena Vista area. I'm pretty sure the company is owned by the parent company of the Vistana resort. While getting my voucher, I was also offered a time-share sales pitch. I had never been to a time-share sales pitch before, and although I had no great desire to see on now, the compensation for my time would be a free Silver-Star pass to Universal Studios, which is a type of promotional pass that expires soon after it's first use. But it was a 3-day park-hopper pass, and since I had planned on buying a two-day park-hopper pass to Universal anyway, it would fit my needs very well and save me about $90. In exchange, I would be required to sit through a two-hour sales pitch at the Vistana resort.
Knowing that I could never afford a time-share at Vistana, and willing to give up a couple of hours of my precious vacation time, I accepted. The pitch would be on Sunday morning at 9:45, and include breakfast.
I was now getting thirsty, so I went without delay to Forty-Thirst Street and got myself a Frozen Sundrop. It was a pretty warm day, so I opted to sit at one of the tiny, uncomfortable tables inside the place, so that I could drink my Sundrop in the air-conditioning.
After several hours of wandering around Downtown Disney, I left Disney property, stopping at the Crossroads shopping center for a quick browse through the Disney store, and made a longer stop at the Walgreens outside Vistana for snacks and supplies. Then it was back to the hotel for an early evening of TV to get ready for a Disney day tomorrow.
Walk miles: 3.9
Drive miles: 63.2