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05-15-2005, 09:20 PM
| #1 (permalink) |
| PassPorter Guide  Community Rank: Globetrotter   Join Date: May 2000 Location: Toms River, NJ
Posts: 3,121
| The Hitchhiker\'s Guide to Disney World - 5/3/05 - 5/10/05: PROLOGUE "DISNEY WORLD OR BUST": PRE-TRIP PROLOGUE “Robots,” wasn’t that great of a movie, a little too simple and oversweet, but I must give it full credit for getting me to Disney World. The night I traveled an hour south from my home in Toms River to Atlantic City, as I usually do on my trips there, I picked a table and opted to press my luck a little at the blackjack tables, my favorite casino game. The Tropicana, home of the IMAX I saw Robots in, was crowded after the movie, around 10pm on a Thursday. The person I was there with did not gamble and did not take well to the thick smoke emanating from the tables. I chose a $15 minimum table and starting playing. Hand after hand it was obvious I was having a little bit of luck, I was hitting twenties, blackjacks, and the dealer was busting on my weaker stands. After 20 minutes, three-quarters of a shoe, I was up $175. Once the last card exited the shoe, I broke a cardinal rule of blackjack: NEVER leave in the middle of a winning streak. I had work the next day and didn’t want to make my friend wait anymore, so I walked. I had very much been anxious to return to Disney World after my last trip, a solo venture to Mousefest in December 2003. The fusion of graduating college, having to find a job, little money and a negative experience with WDW’s Billing Department in early 2004 all came together to inhibit anything from getting off the ground. In October of 2004 I was fortunate to land a video editing job at a photo and video studio near my house. It paid well enough and I got to see lots of people’s Disney World vacation videos as we transfer them to DVD, but it was impossible to get to Mousefest in December ’04 when I just started working there 2 months earlier. Two days after my 20-minutes of luck, I could not ignore my regret any longer. I persuaded a friend of mine who did like to play blackjack to take another trip down to AC. The cheapest tables we could find on a Saturday afternoon were $25 minimum hands at Casear’s. Only 4 hands for my $100 buy-in, if I lost them. I survived a couple shoes, up $100 just as my friend lost half his bankroll. He left looking for cheaper tables. I stayed, not breaking any luck I was having. Over the next hour and a half, I slowly kept my winning pace, winning two hands for every won I lost. When my friend arrived back, flat broke, I cashed out with $500 plus my original $100, small beans for most players, but a 500% increase is a very good session. In the weeks following, it wasn’t difficult to decide what to do with the money. I couldn’t afford to go without the “bonus,” but now Disney World was nearly possible, I just needed time off. Not an issue! I usually produce about 80-85% of the work that comes through our studio, and a week off could mean falling far behind, but business was slow for mid-April, despite wedding season quickly approaching in mid-May. From the moment I decided to go, it only took 24 hours to wait for my Cast Member friend to snag me 7 nights at Pop Century with his family and friends discount, and 10 minutes later I was booked on Song Air departing Tuesday May 3, and departing Tuesday, May 10. Major props to my CM pal for getting me on-site. On the morning of my trip, I will have to get up a 4am to be out of the house by 4:45, drive an hour to my uncle’s house to park my car at 5:45, be driven to the train station to catch a 6:20 train to Penn Station in New York, an LIRR train to the AirTrain terminal, and an elevated AirTrain to JFK Airport. Could it be any easier? My goal? Experience the kickoff the Happiest Celebration on Earth kickoff, and compile information for Disney World travelers so crucial and important, that it will surpass "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (the fictional book, not the fictional novel or the movie or the TV series or radio show) in importance! And will answer The Question of Disney World once and for all! |
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05-16-2005, 02:53 AM
| #5 (permalink) |
| Community Rank: Trailblazer   Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 5,147
| Re: The Hitchhiker\'s Guide to Disney World - 5/3/05 - 5/10/05: PROLOGUE Great start! Can't wait to read more!  |
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05-16-2005, 05:02 PM
| #13 (permalink) |
| Community Rank: Trekker   Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Harrisburg, PA
Posts: 1,397
| Re: The Hitchhiker\'s Guide to Disney World - 5/3/05 - 5/10/05: PROLOGUE Excellent pre-trip report, Brant! I'm headin' to Atlantic City on Friday night - maybe I'll get lucky like you did! I can't think of a better way to spend the winnings! Looking forward to the rest of your report since we were both down there at the same time!  It was so nice to meet you on the bus back to Pop!  |
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05-16-2005, 05:39 PM
| #14 (permalink) |
| Growing Up Is Optional Community Rank: Globetrotter  Join Date: May 2003 Location: Central NY State
Posts: 3,973
| Re: The Hitchhiker\'s Guide to Disney World - 5/3/05 - 5/10/05: PROLOGUE  back Brant! I missed Trivia last night due to a friend's graduation party, so I was wondering if you'd made it back okay. Looking forward to the rest of your TR, esp. your thoughts on Pop.      |
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05-16-2005, 06:13 PM
| #15 (permalink) |
| Community Rank: Trekker Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Rock Creek, Ohio USA
Posts: 1,474
| Re: The Hitchhiker\'s Guide to Disney World - 5/3/05 - 5/10/05: PROLOGUE Great start to your report! |
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About This Page: This is a discussion on The Hitchhiker's Guide to Disney World - 5/3/05 - 5/10/05: PROLOGUE within the Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports, part of the PassPorter Community - Message Boards and Forums; "DISNEY WORLD OR BUST": PRE-TRIP PROLOGUE
“Robots,” wasn’t that great of a movie, a little too ...
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