We booked a reservation for the RV and ourselves at Fort Wilderness Resort but confirmed it on the phone with a live person. The purpose of the call was to verify that we could get a AAA discount (20%) for the stay. The person my wife spoke to said since we had already made the reservation she could not adjust the price but to just ask for the discount at check-in. So we did that. Having first greeted us warmly, the person at the gate took on the appearance of someone confronted by a bum begging for a handout. “Oh no, I’m sorry; we are not allowed to change the balance due on your reservation.” After further discussion, we were told that we could take it up with the manager on duty at that portal into this resort, but those were the rules. The manager had the same unyielding, corporate gatekeeper response. We were told we would have to take it up with the people in charge at the headquarters. We did that in writing, in a letter to Meg Crofton,  head of WDW. Instead of writing a reply, she had a flunky call us back reciting the same litany of why were not entitled to the discount–no apology that the operater who spoke to us was mistaken and no adjustment in price. The fact is that AAA and other groups get deals on blocks of rooms (or in this case, RV sites) but there were no discounts remaining for that time. The person on the  phone didn’t tell us that. Maybe we would have gone anyway, maybe not. The problem is that she gave us the wrong information and Disney won’t accept the consequences of their mistake. That kind of corporate arrogance doesn’t deserve reward in the form of repeat business; it deserves punishment in the form of warning you away from this greedy bunch. 

So if you are thinking about going there, think twice. At the least, get all the financial arrangements in writing because Disney will not bend–not to you anyway. 

Take a look at the previews for CSI-Miami (please don’t watch the show; that is too–eww!).  Look at Caruso (who plays Horatio Caine) and the next time you’re at a pet shop or see a parrot on TV, compare the head movements.  See the resemblance?  What normal human being affects such odd head tilts while talking or moving around a room as he does?  Then there’s the random sunglasses on/off/on/off routine that accompanies the head moves.  This conveys what?! 

OK, so parrots don’t wear sunglasses but if you gave them a pair, I’ll bet it wouldn’t be long before they’re doing an on/off routine imitating people–especially if they watched Caruso for a day or two.  Perhaps you get the idea that I don’t think much of his acting ability AND you would be correct!  He seems so entirely full of himself.  Unfortunately for him, what he seems full of is something most people flush away once or twice a day.  I won’t even comment on the odd intonations, stresses and pauses in his dialogue that seem to be yet another affectation intended to convey some meaning or feeling but which just grates against the senses and conflicts with the plot/simple meaning of words, etc.  About the only sensible role I could see for him would be in a remake of Madonna’s music video for “Vogue.”  Because striking a pose is about all he is capable of.  So I guess he could also make it as a male model.  But as the star of a TV show?  Gimme a break!