Amanda's Trip of Firsts - September 18, 2005 My Journey and Pop Century (Long)
About This Page: This is a discussion on Amanda's Trip of Firsts - September 18, 2005 My Journey and Pop Century (Long) within the Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports, part of the PassPorter Community - Message Boards and Forums; Bear with me I'm still getting the hang of resizing photos on Photobucket.com September 18, 2005 Plans Leave ...

Wild4Diz · 10-07-2005, 11:11 PM

Bear with me I'm still getting the hang of resizing photos on Photobucket.com
September 18, 2005 Plans
Leave Phoenix at 8:35am on a non-stop flight to Orlando.
Arrive in Orlando at 3:40pm
Pick up rental car from Alamo
*This is the first time I’ve rented from Alamo
Pop Century
*This is the first time I will be staying at Pop Century or a value resort

The Reality
And the adventure begins. The alarm went off at 5:00am this morning and I was up by 5:05am. I got ready to go and had a nice chat with the boys (Black Lab (BJ), Shih-Tzu/Terrier (Ralph), Amazon (Sam), Quaker Parakeet (Howdy)) to reassure them that they’d be taken care of…Okay, so maybe it was more to reassure me.

I was ready to go by 5:20am – 20 minutes to spare – not bad. Super Shuttle arrived at 5:40am, the beginning of my pickup window. The driver loaded my suitcase and off we went. Two more stops then off to the airport. Stop one turned out to be a search for an apartment that didn’t exist and no one was outside waiting anywhere. The driver finally called in and gave up and we headed to stop two. We picked up a couple on their way to Italy and now we’re on the way to the airport.

The ride was uneventful and I was dropped off at the Southwest Terminal. I went in to the e-ticket area. I hadn’t ever printed my boarding pass ahead of time with Southwest so I wasn’t sure how it was all going to work, but here goes. That was so easy – I checked in at the kiosk, checked my bag (which was 50.5 pounds – where am I going to put souvenirs I’m already at the weight limit…) and headed off to the security checkpoint. The security checkpoint was quick and easy this morning – yeah!

Once through security I headed to the store to buy water. Now I’m sitting at the gate waiting to board – only an hour and a half until take off! It only takes one person to start the line then we all wait….The A boarding group wound all the way around and in to the high traffic area by the time they started boarding. I got a window seat by the wing – my favorite and there’s an empty seat in the middle – cool!

Now we’re about two hours in to the four hour flight and it has been uneventful so far. I really like flying Southwest – the people have been friendly and the snack is usually just right for me. It included a Fig Newton (which I didn’t eat), 100 Calorie Pack of Wheat Thins and Ritz cheese crackers. The plane took off on time 8:35am AZ time and we are expected to land 10 minutes early.

So much for uneventful...The person in the aisle seat has been to the bathroom at least two or three times and when she got back this time she flopped down so hard that my glasses fell out of my lap and down between the seat and the wall. Have you ever tried to retrieve something from there? Needless to say my big ol’ arm is a little big to fit between there easily and I’ve now scraped and bruised my arm and hand, but at least I have my glasses back. I’m going to try to rest now.

The rest of the flight really was uneventful and we arrived at MCO at 3:20pm FL time – 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I headed down to bag claim to collect my suitcase and then off to the Alamo counter to rent my car.

The line at the Alamo counter wasn’t too long and the wait was only about five minutes. The lady at the counter was friendly and helpful and I was on my way to get my car in about 10 minutes.

Out in to the Florida heat and humidity I went to head to the cars. The lady at the counter told me to pick any intermediate car I wanted so I headed in search of the intermediates. I chose a maroon Pontiac Grand Am, but when I got in I got confused because there was a tag hanging on the rearview mirror that said National, no where did it mention Alamo. I guess I never really paid attention to the fact that National and Alamo are together. It seemed strange to me so I grabbed a passing attendant to verify that this was the right car and he said it was. Okay, I feel like I’m stealing a car – strange. I’ll take this one. Before I got in I took some pictures just in case I need to prove that the damage was or wasn’t there when I picked it up.

The front of the Grand Am

The back of the Grand Am

Once I was all settled in the car I started toward the exit. Oh, now I get it – this is where they make sure you have the right car. I got all checked out and hit the road. Okay, little preface – I normally get really turned around in Florida – okay – LOST! This time, some how, I managed to get all the way to Pop Century without getting lost!!!! By the way, the tolls ended up being $1.50.

I would have loved to take pictures of all the cool signs on the way. I saw Sea World, Universal, Disney MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney signs. They all made me very excited and it really hit me that I’m really here. The fun is about to begin.

I arrived at Pop Century at 5:00pm and I parked in the guest/check in parking area. I grabbed my purse and bag and headed to the lobby. My first impression is – WOW, this place is huge! I was very impressed. The lobby is large, clean and seems pretty efficient. There was no wait in the check in area so I headed right to the counter and got checked in.

I’ll be in room 4127 in the 50’s, Building One. That’s a fourth floor room. The CM gave me my key to the world – although it didn’t feel like a key to the world without a WDW ticket attached! I gathered up the resort map and the packet of information and headed back to the car.

I followed the signs and found the 50’s and 60’s parking area. I found a great spot – or was it? Once I was parked, I unloaded the car and went in search of my room. Seems like I parked in a great spot for building two, but how good was it for building one?

I walked around building two and then around building one and finally I found an elevator. Fourth floor please – oh, I have to actually push the button myself (he, he)! Okay, room 4124 here I come. I tried the key and no luck, did I put it in backwards, try again, no luck. What is wrong here? Check map – silly me, I’m in 4127 not 4124. Trek over to 4127 and try my key here – green light, that’s better.

I open the door and wham there’s a bed. Wow - that first bed is close to the door.

View of room from door

My first impression of the room is that it’s pretty small. Not uncomfortably so for one person or even two people, but I’m not sure I could handle it with more than that. I know - I’ve been spoiled by the deluxe resorts. The room has two beds, a small table with two chairs, an armoire with TV, a single sink with hair dryer, an open closet area with a small safe, iron and ironing board and a separate bath with toilet and bath tub. This is at least a partially accessible room with hand rails for the toilet and in the shower.

One of the beds

Table/Chairs and Armoire/TV

Open Closet with Iron and Ironing Board

Sink area with Hair Dryer

Shower/Bath with Hand Rails

Toilet with Hand Rail Down

It’s a comfortable room and I think it will be just fine for a few days.

After I settled in a little bit and watched a little TV my stomach was begging for food. A little after 7:00pm I left the room and walked around Pop Century and took lots of pictures and just enjoyed being in Florida at Pop Century.

I headed over to Classic Hall and did a quick browse through the shop before heading in to the food court to search for dinner.

View to the next building from my room

Crazy Man – how fun is that?

Larger than life Lady

He’s a Tramp

A giant yo-yo. Pretty clever way to disguise a staircase don’t you think?

Play-doh animals

I was born and raised in Washington State and I can clearly recall waking up to a very loud bang when Mount St Helens erupted so I thought this sign was pretty cool

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head

Rubik’s Cube – another staircase disguise

By this time I’m starving to death – no chance of that actually happening anytime soon, but hey I am really hungry! Oh no, there goes my waistline and my wallet. I’d been totally craving a cheeseburger all day, so I chose to order a double cheeseburger, chili cheese fries, Tie Dye Cheesecake, a Chocolate Chip Cookie (for later) and a 24oz. Water. I enjoyed everything I had. The cheeseburger was greasy and perfect, the chili cheese fries wonderful and if you haven’t tried the Tie Dye Cheesecake at Pop Century I’d suggest giving it a try as it really is different and quite good.

This may seem quite strange but that was my very first meal in public all alone. I don’t typically eat out by myself as I always thought I’d be self conscious and it would be awkward eating alone. I found out that it really isn’t such a big deal and it didn’t bother me at all. I finally figured out that no one else really cares what I’m eating or doing because they are involved in their own meals and families. Whew - I guess this may not be so bad after all. That was a big hurdle for me!

I made it back to the room at about 9:00pm. I got my clothes and everything ready to go for the next day, recorded the day’s events in my Passporter and got ready for bed. Tomorrow I’m off to Sea World and the Beluga Interaction Program!

The firsts for today included:
Pick up rental car from Alamo
*This is the first time I’ve rented from Alamo
Pop Century
*This is the first time I will be staying at Pop Century or a value resort

I can recommend renting from Alamo. It was quick and easy and the car was very nice.

Pop Century really is nice and I wasn’t sure what I’ would think of a value resort, but so far it seems to fit the bill nicely.

My Journey
The weather was nice and cool (in AZ terms) and not too humid when I left (monsoons are over) and pretty warm and very humid when I arrived.

The best thing about my journey was getting on the plane to head for Orlando and landing early.

The worst thing about my journey was losing my glasses between the seat and the wall and scraping and bruising my arm trying to retrieve them.

The funniest thing about my journey was feeling like I was stealing my rental car.

The most magical moment during my journey was driving through the Walt Disney World arch.
My Lodging
My first impression of the hotel was this place is huge.

The best thing about Pop Century was being on the fourth floor.

The worst thing about Pop Century was the room was a little on the small side.

The amenities at Pop Century were pretty great. The store was good and the food court is fabulous with a good selection of items.

Memories of My First Day
The weather today was 93 degrees, warm, but not too hot and a bit on the humid side.

The best thing today was seeing all the icons and signs at Pop Century.

The worst thing today was eating alone for the first time in public, but it turned out to be not so bad.

Today I tried Everything Pop for dinner and the result was a delicious dinner.

The most magical moment today was knowing that I had finally made it to Walt Disney World after a very difficult year and a half.

lauren-roxy · 10-08-2005, 08:37 AM

Great start Amanda!! Can't wait to read more!!!

ngaill · 10-08-2005, 09:58 AM

I Love reading your TR! My dream is to go to WDW by myself and I will once I save some $$$. It sounds like you had a Great Time-do you recomend going by yourself?

TroianRae · 10-08-2005, 10:04 AM

Wonderful start!! I'm looking forward to reading your TR!!

**debsta922** · 10-08-2005, 02:12 PM

Great start Amanda, can't wait to read more.

Wild4Diz · 10-08-2005, 09:21 PM

Thanks for the encouragement. I had a great time traveling to WDW solo. I was very apprehensive and thought that I wouldn't have as good a time by myself, but boy was I wrong. I loved it so much that I will go by myself again in 2007!

**Joy J** · 10-08-2005, 09:55 PM

Wonderful start, Amanda! More please.

Joy

**DrDolphin** · 10-09-2005, 12:52 PM

Great start Amanda!!!

**Tink and co.** · 10-09-2005, 05:51 PM

Sounds like a wonderful start to your trip! Can't wait for more!

**Colexis Mom** · 10-09-2005, 09:47 PM

What a great first day

10-07-2005, 11:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
Wild4Diz Community Rank: Adventurer Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Gilbert, AZ, USA Posts: 945	Amanda\'s Trip of Firsts - September 18, 2005 My Journey and Pop Century (Long) Bear with me I'm still getting the hang of resizing photos on Photobucket.com September 18, 2005 Plans Leave Phoenix at 8:35am on a non-stop flight to Orlando. Arrive in Orlando at 3:40pm Pick up rental car from Alamo This is the first time I’ve rented from Alamo Pop Century This is the first time I will be staying at Pop Century or a value resort The Reality And the adventure begins. The alarm went off at 5:00am this morning and I was up by 5:05am. I got ready to go and had a nice chat with the boys (Black Lab (BJ), Shih-Tzu/Terrier (Ralph), Amazon (Sam), Quaker Parakeet (Howdy)) to reassure them that they’d be taken care of…Okay, so maybe it was more to reassure me. I was ready to go by 5:20am – 20 minutes to spare – not bad. Super Shuttle arrived at 5:40am, the beginning of my pickup window. The driver loaded my suitcase and off we went. Two more stops then off to the airport. Stop one turned out to be a search for an apartment that didn’t exist and no one was outside waiting anywhere. The driver finally called in and gave up and we headed to stop two. We picked up a couple on their way to Italy and now we’re on the way to the airport. The ride was uneventful and I was dropped off at the Southwest Terminal. I went in to the e-ticket area. I hadn’t ever printed my boarding pass ahead of time with Southwest so I wasn’t sure how it was all going to work, but here goes. That was so easy – I checked in at the kiosk, checked my bag (which was 50.5 pounds – where am I going to put souvenirs I’m already at the weight limit…) and headed off to the security checkpoint. The security checkpoint was quick and easy this morning – yeah! Once through security I headed to the store to buy water. Now I’m sitting at the gate waiting to board – only an hour and a half until take off! It only takes one person to start the line then we all wait….The A boarding group wound all the way around and in to the high traffic area by the time they started boarding. I got a window seat by the wing – my favorite and there’s an empty seat in the middle – cool! Now we’re about two hours in to the four hour flight and it has been uneventful so far. I really like flying Southwest – the people have been friendly and the snack is usually just right for me. It included a Fig Newton (which I didn’t eat), 100 Calorie Pack of Wheat Thins and Ritz cheese crackers. The plane took off on time 8:35am AZ time and we are expected to land 10 minutes early. So much for uneventful...The person in the aisle seat has been to the bathroom at least two or three times and when she got back this time she flopped down so hard that my glasses fell out of my lap and down between the seat and the wall. Have you ever tried to retrieve something from there? Needless to say my big ol’ arm is a little big to fit between there easily and I’ve now scraped and bruised my arm and hand, but at least I have my glasses back. I’m going to try to rest now. The rest of the flight really was uneventful and we arrived at MCO at 3:20pm FL time – 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I headed down to bag claim to collect my suitcase and then off to the Alamo counter to rent my car. The line at the Alamo counter wasn’t too long and the wait was only about five minutes. The lady at the counter was friendly and helpful and I was on my way to get my car in about 10 minutes. Out in to the Florida heat and humidity I went to head to the cars. The lady at the counter told me to pick any intermediate car I wanted so I headed in search of the intermediates. I chose a maroon Pontiac Grand Am, but when I got in I got confused because there was a tag hanging on the rearview mirror that said National, no where did it mention Alamo. I guess I never really paid attention to the fact that National and Alamo are together. It seemed strange to me so I grabbed a passing attendant to verify that this was the right car and he said it was. Okay, I feel like I’m stealing a car – strange. I’ll take this one. Before I got in I took some pictures just in case I need to prove that the damage was or wasn’t there when I picked it up. The front of the Grand Am The back of the Grand Am Once I was all settled in the car I started toward the exit. Oh, now I get it – this is where they make sure you have the right car. I got all checked out and hit the road. Okay, little preface – I normally get really turned around in Florida – okay – LOST! This time, some how, I managed to get all the way to Pop Century without getting lost!!!! By the way, the tolls ended up being $1.50. I would have loved to take pictures of all the cool signs on the way. I saw Sea World, Universal, Disney MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney signs. They all made me very excited and it really hit me that I’m really here. The fun is about to begin. I arrived at Pop Century at 5:00pm and I parked in the guest/check in parking area. I grabbed my purse and bag and headed to the lobby. My first impression is – WOW, this place is huge! I was very impressed. The lobby is large, clean and seems pretty efficient. There was no wait in the check in area so I headed right to the counter and got checked in. I’ll be in room 4127 in the 50’s, Building One. That’s a fourth floor room. The CM gave me my key to the world – although it didn’t feel like a key to the world without a WDW ticket attached! I gathered up the resort map and the packet of information and headed back to the car. I followed the signs and found the 50’s and 60’s parking area. I found a great spot – or was it? Once I was parked, I unloaded the car and went in search of my room. Seems like I parked in a great spot for building two, but how good was it for building one? I walked around building two and then around building one and finally I found an elevator. Fourth floor please – oh, I have to actually push the button myself (he, he)! Okay, room 4124 here I come. I tried the key and no luck, did I put it in backwards, try again, no luck. What is wrong here? Check map – silly me, I’m in 4127 not 4124. Trek over to 4127 and try my key here – green light, that’s better. I open the door and wham there’s a bed. Wow - that first bed is close to the door. View of room from door My first impression of the room is that it’s pretty small. Not uncomfortably so for one person or even two people, but I’m not sure I could handle it with more than that. I know - I’ve been spoiled by the deluxe resorts. The room has two beds, a small table with two chairs, an armoire with TV, a single sink with hair dryer, an open closet area with a small safe, iron and ironing board and a separate bath with toilet and bath tub. This is at least a partially accessible room with hand rails for the toilet and in the shower. One of the beds Table/Chairs and Armoire/TV Open Closet with Iron and Ironing Board Sink area with Hair Dryer Shower/Bath with Hand Rails Toilet with Hand Rail Down It’s a comfortable room and I think it will be just fine for a few days. After I settled in a little bit and watched a little TV my stomach was begging for food. A little after 7:00pm I left the room and walked around Pop Century and took lots of pictures and just enjoyed being in Florida at Pop Century. I headed over to Classic Hall and did a quick browse through the shop before heading in to the food court to search for dinner. View to the next building from my room Crazy Man – how fun is that? Larger than life Lady He’s a Tramp A giant yo-yo. Pretty clever way to disguise a staircase don’t you think? Play-doh animals I was born and raised in Washington State and I can clearly recall waking up to a very loud bang when Mount St Helens erupted so I thought this sign was pretty cool Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head Rubik’s Cube – another staircase disguise By this time I’m starving to death – no chance of that actually happening anytime soon, but hey I am really hungry! Oh no, there goes my waistline and my wallet. I’d been totally craving a cheeseburger all day, so I chose to order a double cheeseburger, chili cheese fries, Tie Dye Cheesecake, a Chocolate Chip Cookie (for later) and a 24oz. Water. I enjoyed everything I had. The cheeseburger was greasy and perfect, the chili cheese fries wonderful and if you haven’t tried the Tie Dye Cheesecake at Pop Century I’d suggest giving it a try as it really is different and quite good. This may seem quite strange but that was my very first meal in public all alone. I don’t typically eat out by myself as I always thought I’d be self conscious and it would be awkward eating alone. I found out that it really isn’t such a big deal and it didn’t bother me at all. I finally figured out that no one else really cares what I’m eating or doing because they are involved in their own meals and families. Whew - I guess this may not be so bad after all. That was a big hurdle for me! I made it back to the room at about 9:00pm. I got my clothes and everything ready to go for the next day, recorded the day’s events in my Passporter and got ready for bed. Tomorrow I’m off to Sea World and the Beluga Interaction Program! The firsts for today included: Pick up rental car from Alamo This is the first time I’ve rented from Alamo Pop Century This is the first time I will be staying at Pop Century or a value resort I can recommend renting from Alamo. It was quick and easy and the car was very nice. Pop Century really is nice and I wasn’t sure what I’ would think of a value resort, but so far it seems to fit the bill nicely. My Journey The weather was nice and cool (in AZ terms) and not too humid when I left (monsoons are over) and pretty warm and very humid when I arrived. The best thing about my journey was getting on the plane to head for Orlando and landing early. The worst thing about my journey was losing my glasses between the seat and the wall and scraping and bruising my arm trying to retrieve them. The funniest thing about my journey was feeling like I was stealing my rental car. The most magical moment during my journey was driving through the Walt Disney World arch. My Lodging My first impression of the hotel was this place is huge. The best thing about Pop Century was being on the fourth floor. The worst thing about Pop Century was the room was a little on the small side. The amenities at Pop Century were pretty great. The store was good and the food court is fabulous with a good selection of items. Memories of My First Day The weather today was 93 degrees, warm, but not too hot and a bit on the humid side. The best thing today was seeing all the icons and signs at Pop Century. The worst thing today was eating alone for the first time in public, but it turned out to be not so bad. Today I tried Everything Pop for dinner and the result was a delicious dinner. The most magical moment today was knowing that I had finally made it to Walt Disney World after a very difficult year and a half.

10-08-2005, 08:37 AM	#2 (permalink)
lauren-roxy Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire Join Date: May 2004 Location: Ohio Football Hall Of Fame Posts: 35,659	Re: Amanda\'s Trip of Firsts - September 18, 2005 My Journey and Pop Century (Long) Great start Amanda!! Can't wait to read more!!!

10-08-2005, 09:58 AM	#3 (permalink)
ngaill Community Rank: Traveler Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: North Carolina Posts: 290	Re: Amanda\'s Trip of Firsts - September 18, 2005 My Journey and Pop Century (Long) I Love reading your TR! My dream is to go to WDW by myself and I will once I save some $$$. It sounds like you had a Great Time-do you recomend going by yourself?

10-08-2005, 10:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
TroianRae Community Rank: Globetrotter Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: South Dakota Posts: 3,248	Re: Amanda\'s Trip of Firsts - September 18, 2005 My Journey and Pop Century (Long) Wonderful start!! I'm looking forward to reading your TR!!

10-08-2005, 09:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
Wild4Diz Community Rank: Adventurer Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Gilbert, AZ, USA Posts: 945	Re: Amanda\'s Trip of Firsts - September 18, 2005 My Journey and Pop Century (Long) Thanks for the encouragement. I had a great time traveling to WDW solo. I was very apprehensive and thought that I wouldn't have as good a time by myself, but boy was I wrong. I loved it so much that I will go by myself again in 2007!

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