V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

So. Bobby came home from work and says to me,” Wanna go to Disney World?” Three days later we’re on the road.

We always leave the night before. You see, if we wait until morning, we won’t get out until three in the afternoon because we’re piddling around with laundry, checking one more thing on the computer or worse yet constructing my famous vacation printout booklet. Page-by-page it takes us through any predetermined destinations with maps and pertinent info. On the front page is a list of our hotels, complete with confirmation#, phone#, type of bed/accessible shower, person I spoke with at the property, Room# (if assigned). I’ve dealt with enough fouled up reservations when it comes to accessible rooms to know what I need for ammunition. Staying in an accessible room takes the three P’s. Planning. Patience. Persistence. Bobby usually just sits quietly and lets me do my thing. I have learned the right way to handle things to get what I need. At times we get a better or free room. Sometimes it is at another property. It does pay to stick with the same chain and join their rewards club. We stayed three nights free this trip because of nights slept in the fall. My Silver Elite (woo hoo) status actually helped three situations on this trip when our room was “given away” prior to 6PM.

The most memorable was Bud. I thought he was going to pee himself covering up his mistake. He changed his story three times. Two people in wheelchairs are already in the rooms with roll-in showers. I have my confirmation number xxx for a King bed accessible room with a roll in shower, can you see it where you are? Well someone requested one roll in shower but they want adjoining rooms with it. I’m a Silver Elite member. Find me a Marriott property with a roll in shower and call me back. We’re about an hour away from Charleston yet. (Five minutes later) I just caught the housekeeper coming out of the room (5:30PM,) the other folks hadn’t actually checked into it yet. Your room is ready. Yeah. Right. Still, when we got there Bud recommended a lovely local restaurant and gave us a discount coupon.

Our second snafu got us free water with our cookie (usually for the Gold Club) and even though we were using our points for the room, our points were still credited to our account. Sweet.

Third up was an upgrade to a better hotel. The clerk saw my guaranteed reservation and quickly said he could find me another room - without my asking. What a guy.

I think I'm on some kind of list now.