Monday continued...
11am - checked out with just minutes to spare. (packing took longer than expected, as I had to liberate 18 toys to save space.

I was able to have my luggage stored away by the hotel until I came back, and I walked off to the nearby Target store (it was probably only 500 metres away, but the heat had me sweating by the time I got there).
I bought up some more breakfast cereals and some more food supplies for the week at Disney, and decided to call for a taxi. The company that the hotel had recommended were like a private car service, with no actual labelling on the vehicle, and no meter (amounts were guessed or were a set amount based on the destination).
I was glad I did call up the Cab, instead of walking the 4kms (in the heat) to where the TRU store was supposed to be, because the driver was sure that there was no store there, saying that it would have to be a warehouse due to the location.
So I abandoned that destination and gave him the address of where a US Post Office was meant to be located. We drove off, and couldn't find it. This was getting frustrating, because the TRU problem could just be due to Google Maps listing all TRU locations (not just stores), but the USPS address was from the USPS website.

I decided to just head back to the TRU store near the hotel, and the driver only charged $10 after all that running around. Since he was such a good sport, I told him that I was planning to head over to the Disney Hotel later that afternoon, and asked him if he could come back to the hotel at 2pm (saved me calling up again - it counts as an international call for me).

In TRU, I grabbed some Animated Cybertronian Ratchet toys for Demonac (plus for two others if anyone wants them (for AU$20 each)), and recognised some Transformers Fans in the TFs section (the first of the locusts had arrived to start scavenging the local stores had begun). I rushed back to the Hotel thinking it was close to 2pm, but stopped at Sears on the way to buy a cheap watch (because the one I had been wearing was broken - I couldn't alter the time, so had to always keep calculating what time it was in Orlando).
And to prove my point of needing a watch that told the exact 'local' time, I rushed back to the hotel thinking it was just on 2pm (for the taxi pickup), and was promptly told that it was midday... the 10 hour time difference on my watch had me thinking it was 2 hours later than it really was.

Fortunately the concierge was able to contact the cab driver, to let him know that I was ready now, instead of in 2 hours time. (I could have waited out the 2 hours in the Lobby, and do computer stuff, but figured I'd made such a fuss, I might as well head over to the Disney hotel and wait in their lobby for Simon (my roomie - who was the only name on the reservation).
It took about 35 minutes to drive there, passing some theme-parks and quite a few giant, fancy-looking hotels on the way. Entering the Disneyworld 'compound', it really did feel like it was in the middle of nowhere. No suburbia or houses, or civilisation anywhere in the last 10 minutes of driving.
The trip from the Florida Mall Hotel to Disney cost $42 (which I thought wasn't too bad for 35 minutes of travelling in a taxi). The bellboy took most of my luggage away to storage, and I was sitting in the outer lobby by 12.40pm.
The next 5 1/2 hours I worked on toy reviews, photos, BotCon report and playing with toys.
At about 4.20pm, Brian and some of the main FunPub staff walked into the hotel, but didn't appear to have any luggage, so might have been staying there as a holiday before the convention.

At about 6pm, Simon arrived and we checked in, and we spent the next 3 hours talking about toys, and playing with the TFs I brought with me.

At 9pm-ish, we did a bit of reconaissance of the Convention centre, plus checked out the hotel's facilities and restaurants (all very expensive).

Back in the room about 90 minutes later, I ate and did computer stuff (I posted this post, but the hotel internet keeps interferring with links, including clicking on 'post reply', so lost it all).

Was asleep by 11.30.


Tuesday 23rd.
Woke up at 7.30 (set the alarm for 9am), and after getting ready, Simon and I left at 9.30 for the front of the hotel where the busses leave for the different Disney parks. After noticing that we had to go to the lake at the back of the hotel for the ferry to the Hollywood Studios, we were at the Studios by 10.30. First thing we did was go on one of the tours.
Next was an Indiana Jones Stunt show.
Then a Star Wars ride.
Just past midday, on the way to the Car Stunt show, I saw three more of the FunPub staff (Karl, Rick, Pete).
We stopped for lunch at about 2-30 (had a double cheeseburger... of course), and then went to the Backlot tour.
There was a heavy focus on Michael Bay and Pearl Harbour, with an aquatic stunt demonstration.
At 4pm we saw a Jedi Demonstration, which was more entertaining than I expected.
Simon headed off, and after going on the Tower of Terror, I headed back to the hotel a little after 5pm.

I had a shower, ate, watched TV, talked to Simon, and worked on the computer for the next 7 hours - occasionally being interrupted by friends of Simon who wanted to see my toys.

Off to sleep now (half past midnight Wednesday - 2.30pm Wednesday, Brisbane time).
Early start tomorrow (7.30am) with an 11 hour tour to Cape Canaveral (NASA) - an hour bus ride each way. Then pre-registration pickup in the evening.