The world's slowest blogger? A June Florida timeshare trip.

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Well, hopefully I've learned not to make promises about maintaining my Blog -- no luck with "Trips" feature, and obviously I didn't do any entries while actually on the trip. In hindsight it was a pretty good trip, but often seemed less than magical while we were there (the heat and crowds were worse than I had expected), and I'm looking foward to my next trip to Florida this Fall. Several highlights and no major problems -- some "learning experiences." If we hadn't been mostly staying in timeshare units, it probably would have been a much worse trip.

Started out in a 2-bedroom Marriott Royal Palms unit in the Marriott World Complex, which is a very easy drive from most of WDW (except Animal Kingdom). It was very nice, pleasant view from the screened-in balcony over a waterway with a large spray "fountain" -- that seems common with the water features at resorts -- probably is part of the mosquito abatement program. Birdwatching was kind of fun. Well-equipped kitchen. The MRP pool is good, and the World Center pool is fantastic -- the biggest I've ever seen, with a fun slide (no convenient food in the evening, tho). It's also an easy, short drive to a Super Wal-mart, very handy for gas, groceries, and unexpected needed items. Wireless Internet was available, but I wasn't in the room enough when I had any energy to work on my Blog!

The second week we stayed in a one-bedroom unit "on property" at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort (also on an exhange, altho I have since "joined up" there -- over the visit I had cause to wonder if I had made the right decision about buying into DVC , but am feeling comfortable with that decision now that I've recovered from this trip and am looking forward to the next one). On an exchange, you have to pay an exorbitant daily charge for Internet, and since I hadn't gotten started on the blog yet anyway, I just blew it off. The sofa bed was horrible, but housekeeping brought some egg crate foam pads which helped. So, SSR was a bit of a comedown as a resort from the Marriott, but it is lovely and there are some advantages to being on property. There was no salt and pepper in the kitchen, and the worst thing, was NO LUGGAGE CARTS! (Halfway through the trip we were already exhausted, and have to pack everything to the elevator and down a long hallway was a major pain). The view from our room was excellent -- across the water, and some of the resort to Downtown Disney -- we could see the Characters in Flight balloon.

Then we moved to the Best Western Lake Buena Vista near Downtown Disney, which I got with a little package to do a timeshare tour of Wyndham Bonnet Creek, which I wanted to see and learn about -- I think that will likely be the last timeshare tour I ever do (well, never say never, but it was a less than fun experience). We did actually enjoy our stay there -- had a view over toward Epcot (long ways away, but we could see Spaceship Earth); beds were okay, very handy location, nice little pool, okay restaurant. Again no luggage carts -- had to use a bellman to take luggage up, but with no kitchen, not everything needed to go into the room.

Since it takes me two days to make the drive, I broke it up on the way home with a 2-night stay on Hilton Head -- it was interesting to find one's way around there, but am looking forward to going back now that I have a better idea what to expect. It was hard getting used to the murky water, which was much warmer than I expected, and there were lots of small sand dollars underfoot --made me feel badly about stepping on them. It was just me and DGS and so the regular motel-type room was fine. It was at the Player's Club, which is a small timeshare next to a large tennis club. I'm sure when people do their timeshare tour, the contrast between the regular room and a timeshare unit is a big selling point. We were right next to the medium size pool, which DGS enjoyed (probably more than the ocean -- spoiled by the Caribbean, ya know!).

I'm hoping to get myself in gear to get photos online and to do some more blow-by-blow daily blogs about activities, food, lessons for the future, more specifics for other planners, etc.

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Photos

View from SSR balcony
The Character in Flight (CIF) balloon at Downtown Disney

View from BWLBV
Epcot area visible in far distance