Skamarakas - Nov/Dec 2005

When: November 27 - December 3
Who: The Skamarakas Family - Anna (mom, 41); Anna (grandmom, 62); Brighid (DD14); Eilis (DD4); Granuaile (DD 7 months)
Where: Port Orleans Riverside from Sunday until Friday, then one night at the Nickelodeon Hotel

WRAP UP

This is definitely the trip of the good, the bad, and the ugly. We had such magical experiences and such awful let downs. I want to point out a few things that stand out in my mind as things I wish I had not seen.

We had breakfast in the food court one morning during our stay. A group of about 5 CMs stood around in a cluster, audibly complaining about their jobs. The counters where you pick up drinks, silverware, condiments, etc. was a terrible mess and trash cans overflowed, yet there was no manager or any type of supervisor that approached these women and asked them to resume their duties. They were standing chatting during our entire breakfast.

At another breakfast that I went and picked up at the food court, I asked for a container of applesauce. The night before, there had been some in the fridge, but this morning, there was none. The lady at the counter told me they don't carry applesauce. When I told her I had just gotten it there the night before she said, "Oh, yeah, well, we don't serve it before lunch." Fortunately, another CM overheard me, and she went in the back and got it for me.

While sitting with my mom, who was, of course, having a cigarette, we had the opportunity to listen to another CM chatting on his cell phone. He was "in uniform", sitting on a railing, complaining that they had asked him to stay later and he proceeded to complain on his call as we were walking away. I saw two other CMs on cell phones, which I have NEVER seen before, but we did not hear those conversations.

Housekeeping was mediocre at best. Our shower was never wiped down in the entire time we stayed, and we never had fresh cups. There were no towel animals, no adorable poses of the toys in our room, no acknowledgement that there were children there.

With all the not so goods, I will never forget how Eilis felt when the CM at the toy store stuffed that second pony into her box. Brighid giggled half the day over the "citation" she received from the security guard. And not ten minutes ago, Eilis walked in with her card to see if I remembered how she helped Pluto at the Garden Grill.

The food was great everywhere on property that we ate. The waiters and waitresses were all friendly and helpful. The poor kid at the Garden Grill was so quiet and adorable, we thought our loud family scared him to death. But we saw him leaving the park later on in the day, and he came over and stopped and thanked us for his tip and told us to have a great vacation.

I do not think I would ever take my mom again without taking my stepfather. She is even talking about going back when she gets her income tax return this spring, but Pop-Pop is going to have to come with us. That's the only way to keep her from smoking and to keep us on some kind of schedule. We missed a lot because of her need for frequent stops.

I have seen the moms in the parks with the crying kids who are stressed and have done too much. I have promised myself a million times I will NEVER be like that. I will never push my kids past the point where they are socially acceptable to others. But I failed this time. I should have stopped Eilis' cough medicine and not pushed my luck trying to keep her in the parks to do things after the cough medicine was kicking in big time. I have to remember their limits in the future.

This trip has made me think of bringing bug spray on my next trip. I have never needed it before, and don't know if I will ever need it in the future, but the ants grossed me out.

This list is such a valuable resource. I am grateful for every tip, every secret, every morsel of information I have gotten here.

And finally, the Courtyard in Brunswick, GA - gorgeous!!

Now it's time to say goodbye - until our next trip during Easter week!!

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