We woke up just after 7am (after just a little bit of sleep courtesy of the mega-dose of Zofran Hartley got before leaving the hospital), and started/continued packing. Of course, in between packing was also what amounted to about 2 hours of phone calls trying to figure out where to fill a prescription, since our insurance coverage is actually based in the Health Alliance and not a middle-man, so we are only allowed filling at Kroger... of which there were none, so I had to try and get in touch with authorizations, Kroger corporate office (to see about one of their "family of stores"), etc. All on a Saturday. You can probably guess how well that went.
By about 10:30, Zach was loading the car carrier and the girls and I were picking up a few last minute snacks (fantastic candies and fudge, by the way, right in our hotel!). Hartley was sleeping, and so far nobody else was sick - so the morning had gone fairly smoothly (other than the prescription ordeal). We ultimately added a bit more complication when we opted to have another script written for the liquid since we'd be paying out of pocket, and so that was sort of a mess. Then you read about the wait at Walgreen's, which would just be the beginning of a fabulous journey from WDW to Hilton Head (note sarcasm). Since I have already written about that crap (puke, traffic, morons, etc) I will just remind you of it and move right along as planned after showing you the one cute picture we have from the drive.
Of course as we were pulling out of the Lake Buena Vista area after a freezing (but still wonderful) week, the temperature was a sunny 70 degrees well before noon, with a high of 75 and a perfect 0-10 mph breeze every now and then. Ah, well. It could have been blistering heat and disgusting humidity, so we just laughed and continued on our journey. The only regret was that because of the weather, we didn't get to spend much time on the beach, at the various pools, and utilizing other wonderful things the Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower had to offer. I suppose that means we'll just have to go back, right? I thought so, too.
* * * And now, please excuse the extreme time lapse as we skip over the crappity crap that happened the rest of this day, and I show you just how magical it ended. I told you I only wanted to rehash the lows once! ;) * * *
When we decided to book a few nights at the Hilton Head DVC resort, it was for several reasons. We had always wanted to try it, and figured we might as well on the way home. After all, it would be
one of the only times
one of the only times
And a 2-bedroom we got! When we checked in, the Cast Member told us we had been upgraded to a 2BR unit in a perfect location. After the long day we had had, this small bit of news was phenomenal. I can't even described to you how it felt to have one thing go so well, after a stressful 36 hours and debating whether or not to even go through with the Hilton Head plans. And this was all before we got in the unit. We just knew we desperately needed the space and ability to relax.
When we got inside, we were even more impressed. When Zach and I were first married, we had a really good sized apartment for two college students - something like 1100sq ft, and very open. Of course now it seems so small to us (and it was actually kind of a dump, whatever the size), but we knew it was something to be thankful for. And this unit? 1300 square feet of a much more modern, well-thought out floor plan. The girls room had a full bath, a mudroom, 2 queen size beds, a TV and lots of furniture, and a freaking Checkers table. Our room was even larger, with a bathroom that dwarfs my current master bath (a decent size), made up of three separate rooms. Literally. The common area was comfortable and well-appointed, the balcony (with access off the living room and our bedroom) was humongous, and the location seriously couldn't have been beat. A two-minute walk to the pool and community hall, 1-minute walk to our car, 3-minutes to the pier, and with the most romantic, secluded, relaxing wooded lot. And hammock. And adirondack chairs with a grill. It would be just what we needed for Zach and I to relax and spend time together, with plenty of space for two toddlers. We'll DEFINITELY be back, preferably in the same building. Heck, we (I) have already planned out our next trip (minus an actual travel date), down to groceries we'll need for home-cooked meals and cookouts! ;)
The decor was perfect, too. Inspired by the low-country and very outdoorsy, not at all tacky. Just very cozy. There were subtle Disney touches (W.D. initials carved in the mud room bench, along with a heart proclaiming Mickey's love for his sweetheart Minnie), but nothing overwhelming even for a non-Disney person. True to Disney form though, they take care of their guests. Full-size cribs and high-chairs are available so you don't have to lug your own (at no charge), Cast Members are held to the same high-standards that impress everyone upon their first visit to Walt Disney World, and all the accouterments you'd need in your home-away-from-home are right at your fingertips. I could not wait to explore more, and now can't wait to tell you more about what we hope will be our next DVC "home".
I promise we'll be right back to our trip tomorrow, but seriously this is what it looked like for this particular evening:
- check in
- unload the car with 9032843 trips because it was too dark to notice the luggage carts (which were freaking adorable, by the way. just wait and see!)
- do lots of laundry
- clean up puke
- sit down and do as little as possible, exhausted, until crashing in bed
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