Florida Staycation: Getting There

In February 2020, we were on a ski vacation at WorldMark’s Seventh Mountain Resort in Bend, Oregon. While there, we let the sales office talk us into listening to their sales pitch. In return, we received a certificate for a week at any RCI resort. Since Mom was with us and listened to the pitch, she also received a certificate. Later, Mom gave us her certificate to use, knowing that we would likely invite her along. :-)

We used our certificate to go to Hope, Idaho in February 2021. This Spring, Mom’s certificate was nearing its expiration date and we had no plans to travel at the time, so we spent $75 to extend it for another three months. Three months later turned out to be September 7, 2021.

On September 6, Susan remembered that the certificate was about to expire. On the 7th, we all gathered around a computer and started looking at resort options. The choices were very limited for the timeframe we had in mind, with only about a dozen real possibilities. We narrowed the choice down to just those in Florida because I didn’t want to take the extra time off work. Eventually, we narrowed the choices down to two resorts in Kissimmee. One of the two charged nearly $20 a day to access the resort amenities, regardless of whether or not you actually used them. That resort was immediately ruled out.

We ended up booking the Barefoot Suites from September 11 to September 18. Check-in was at 4:00 today, so we were in no rush to leave home, for a change. No early morning flight to catch for this one.

Around 5:00, we finished packing the car and were on our way. We arrived at the resort around 6:00. When we went inside to check in, we were told that we did not have a reservation. Susan showed the attendant the email that she received from RCI, but he said there was nothing he could do. He suggested that she call RCI to work it out. Susan looked up the number for RCI and found that they close at 6:00. It was now 6:15.

At this point, I was considering driving back home. I was thinking, “What if we had just flown across the country to get here? Have we been scammed?” Meanwhile, Susan left a message on the RCI after hours line. We decided to drive around town instead of sitting and waiting for a return call.

If you know me at all, you can probably guess where I decided to go. Andrew looked at the Amtrak web page and found that the next train was scheduled to arrive at 6:45. If we hurried, or more likely, if it was late, we could beat the train to the station. While on the way, we passed the Kissimmee Airport, so I quickly pulled in so I could check in with my AOPA Passport app. Back on the route, we made it to the Amtrak station before the train arrived.

Meanwhile, the RCI after hours operator called Susan and Susan explained what had just happened. The operator called Barefoot Suites and a long conversation ensued. I started driving back towards the resort. On the way, Susan announced that everything was resolved and our reservation was confirmed.

Back at the resort, the attendant still had a problem finding our reservation. This time, he called his supervisor. Eventually, his supervisor straightened him out. Turns out our booking was less than a week ago and it usually takes a week for the reservation to work its way through the system. We finally were checked in and got the card keys for room 233C. We were given directions to the six story building down the road, on the right. We found the building, parked, grabbed our things, and headed for the elevator. Given our room number, I expected to take the elevator to the second floor. But the sign near the elevator said that rooms 211C – 213D were on the first floor. What? How can rooms in the 200 range be on the first floor? At that very moment, the guy who checked us in walked out of the elevator. We described our confusion to him and asked what floor our room was on. Turns out the second digit of the number is the floor, so our room was on the third floor. On the third floor, we expected to find 233A, B, C, and D, but A and B were nowhere to be found. Turns out the A and B units are in a different building. Who came up with this crazy numbering scheme?

By this time, we were all very hungry. This part of US route 192 is littered with food establishments. We looked for a place that was close by and found The Pizza Press. It looked interesting and had a gluten free menu, so we drove the five minutes to Celebration. Usually I wouldn’t go on about a pizza joint, but this place is special. It is set up like a Subway. You start at one end, pick your dough, then your sauce, then your toppings. All of the toppings are set out in front of you to choose from. Pick as many or as few, as little or as much as you'd like; the price is the same. After a quick trip through the oven, you have options for additional toppings, then drinks. They have over 30 beers on tap, along with the common soda options. The pizza Andrew and I ordered came out perfect, with all the toppings tasting fresher than one would expect from a typical pizza place.

Thanks to the help of the RCI agent and the fantastic pizza experience, what looked to be a terrible ordeal turned out great. We are checked in, unpacked, and our stomachs are satisfied. We are looking forward to the rest of the week.