My GF Story (Now with Pictures)

[February]

I hope the mods will bear with me- I'm copying this from another thread because I probably should've posted it in it's own thread to begin with and now I have pictures to post but I didn't want to add them to the other thread as it seems inappropriate to put them there now.

Here it is, the story of the magic made for me by the GF cast on July 11, 2009...

------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by kurtisnelson
I really wish I had been in town when Bru was, Wallaby pointed out her hotel room at the GF overlooking the monorail yesterday.

Kurt, that's very kind of you to say- I'm sorry I missed meeting you too. Wazz, we WILL meet one day, I know it.

Now, about that room...*nervous laugh*

...the cat is out! *tosses bag aside* LOL

I wasn't going to post about that room publicly cause I didn't know what people would say but but hell, I think we all need to have some happy thoughts around here.

I did not go down for the vigil planning to stay in that room- it just happened. I still can't believe it happened.

I'm hijacking our thread here for a moment. I asked March if I should start a new one but he said no, go ahead and put it here since here is where it came up.

First, all I can say is this. not all Fairy Godparents are elderly, gray haired women with magic wands. (though if they were his grandmother would definitely qualify for her Union card. You're right, she is one) Some are gentlemen in black blazers with pens and paper and telephones who give amazing, generous and magical surprises to unsuspecting, pink-shoe-wearing-crutch-toting-mostly-blind chicks like me.

As I posted previously, I made it my aim to spend the entire day of Austin's vigil (one month ago tomorrow, I can't believe it) going around and thanking CMs. Since my vision and my ability to walk are both so limited I did this making the rounds of the monorail hotels.

When I got to the Grand, as with everywhere I went on my little mission it seemed all the guests just vanished and I was left with front desks full of CMs to tell my story to- how up until just days before I'd had to be led everywhere for the past year but now, how with just a bit of sight restored I'd been able to make the trip alone, to go to the vigil and try to support my CM buddies any way I could.

Everyone was just so down, and from the first person I told the story to about my sight, everyone seemed so heartened by hearing that something good had happened to somebody lately that I kept telling it.

Well, at the Grand it was afternoon pre-check in time lull, and there were a bunch of CMs around- two managers, a bunch of bell services gents, a few front desk and concierge cast CMs. I asked them to gather around for 'story time' and it was amazing, we talked and talked and had no guests come up or anyone around to stop us. after a good long while, the two gentleman managers asked me some questions- among them where I was staying and how long I was in town. this was just hours before I was due to go to the vigil.

I said only one night more and I'm staying "In bay lake" which was true because my room at the contemporary was literally the second to the last in the south wing- a very long hike for me from the main building and the monorails for me cause of my issues. but since i booked it two hours in advance of flying down there i was more than grateful to be on the monorail track at all. I had said to March that I could stay in an all star but he said no, you'll be riding busses just trying to get to monorails.

finally, after hearing of my love for the place (March and I had our wedding lunch there but couldn't afford to stay there) and how my bedroom is decorated in a GF motif down to the model monorail station on display, the two managers gave each other a look and then asked if I'd 'come on over' and stay with them at the Grand for the night. I tried to tell them I couldn't possibly put them to the trouble but they wouldn't hear of it. they knew why i was in town and what i'd been doing all day, and they just insisted.

they offered to send someone for my bags but i told them i was traveling very light and so since I had to go back to the resort to check out officially anyway i could bring my one bag back with me on the monorail much faster.

they made some phone calls, and long story short- when I got to check in, at the end of the process I asked the CM for a map so I knew which building to go to and one of the managers came up behind me and said "You don't need a map, ***** here is going to take you up to your room."

I looked at him blinked, confused. I said "But there are only one type of rooms in this building."

He grinned. "I told you, we're going to take good care of you."

Guys- they not only gave me a room- (and for not a penny more than my contemporary room cost- they just transferred the rate over) they gave me THE room.

The turret room on the third floor, overlooking the monorail station.

[February]

When the concierge opened the door and I saw the trains, literally so close you could almost touch them, I instantly broke down and cried.

I think I traumatized the poor concierge LOL. I said, "No way!" as I went from window to window looking at the station, so close by.

They will never know what their gift meant to me. after all I went through with my eyes and all the truly horrible things i saw in the past year with my dad's illness- to go from not being able to see anything at all at the end there, to being able to see such beauty all around me was a gift I will never forget. I said to her "there has to be a mistake" and she replied "Your key works! it's not a mistake."

Then I think I said, "I need a hug." and she very nervously but kindly obliged LOL. Poor thing. I said to the other concierge at the desk when I went back out "I think I scared her." and the concierge replied, "No, she said you were very sweet. She did warn me that you might hug me though." LOL

When I called March, I could hardly speak and I was still crying. I know how Cinderella felt when that pumpkin turned into the finest ride in the kingdom. not that the gorgeous room at the contemp was a garden veggie or anything- just that it was a walk for me and I was making do but it was making things a challenge.

The thing that those incredible gentlemen who did this for me didn't know was that I was in so much pain at the time I didn't know how I was going to make the trip back and forth to the vigil, to the contemporary the rest of the trip and make it through the airport too late the next afternoon.

but thanks to their kindness, I was able to not only do that with no long walks but had literally everything i could need for the next twenty four hours right there- including a much increased ability to quickly meet up with my monorail buddies between their shifts.

It was hilarious- right after I checked in I had just dressed for the vigil and I get a text from Wallaby and he says "Can you meet up with me before the service?" and I said "Where and when?" and he answered "Now, Grand Floridian station."

What he didn't know was I could now see the station from my room! I just said "On my way." and about two minutes later I walk up behind him and he startles and says "How did you do that!" and I said "I was up in MY NEW ROOM!" I should have said "I'm a fairy, what did you expect?"

It was incredible.

I will remember the kindness of the GF cast for the rest of my life. and yes I wrote to Disney about this already.

My two fairygodfathers are in my heart now always. they really saved me on this trip, and they didn't even know it.

late that night after the vigil, in the company of some very special CMs, I stood on the balcony on the third floor of the Grand and looked up at almost five in the morning, and for the first time in two years, I saw the stars.

know the only problem with the room? it was too beautiful to sleep in. I conked out for an hour but that was it. I was awake the whole time. I remember saying, "forget sleep, I'll sleep at home I can't see this at home." and the CMs all laughed. I don't think they've ever had that reaction to that room before. I have never felt so honored, humbled, and utterly welcome in my life as they made me feel.

I have to think someone was looking out for me. Everything fell perfectly into place for the trip in ways I never could've hoped when I got the last seat on the first flight I could, two hours before the plane left. From the moment I got on on the plane until the moment I went back to OIA it was like someone was making sure I was exactly where I needed to be at every possible moment.

You know, Wallaby thanked me on the boards here for coming down but I have to thank him and all of the WDW cms who really made me feel like one of the family. i could never thank them enough for being so very kind.

bru

[February]

PS oh yeah, one funny thing I forgot to mention. When I got home, before I got my pictures developed (and I will put some in my profile soon even though they came out dark i was able to brighten them a bit with the kodak software give a camera to the visually impaired this is what you get) I looked online for pictures of the room to show the Saint. when I found them, I said, "Huh, I didn't see a wet bar..." then I realized, it was behind the sliding closet doors I'd rested my forearm crutch up against so it wouldn't fall over during the night *Rofl* I don't drink- so it never occurred to me that behind those doors would be anything but a coat closet-which honestly I couldn't fathom because I think the walk in closet in this room was bigger than the rooms at the All Stars. *laugh*.

Only I could mistake a hidden wet bar for a coat closet. This is even funnier when you consider that I was puzzled that I couldn't find a drinking glass in the room to pour my can of soda into. (sadly I had no appetite to eat anything from the concierge lounge! But the soda was handy and helpful- it was so hot) Now I realize there was likely a full cupboard of them with the bar...I'm such a dork.

----------------

Photos are in the GF 4330 album in my profile...here's a sample...

[joanna71985]

Wow, that is fantastic! How great of those CMs to go above and beyond. :)

[DDuckLover]

This story is wonderful! :)