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Zoomba
Zoomba
Join Date 11/2002
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Zoomba's Disney Adventure: Day 1

Umm... yeah... I'm here for work....

February 28, 2006 6:03:24 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Tired of the drama on JU this week? Sick of reading about this person leaving, or that person showing solidarity with Cause Against The Man #123? Then I hope you enjoy the next few articles I post this week as I chronicle my company-paid stay at.... DISNEY WORLD

Late last year I talked to my manager about getting some security-specific training and certification to help me do better at my job. He agreed and I immediately set out to find what sort of cert I should get. My search brought me to the GIAC program run by the SANS Institute. Short of the CISSP, these guys had the certs you wanted to get if you wanted to work in IT security.

So I go to their site (http://www.giac.org/) and start browsing through their course offerings. Two jump out at me as good baseline courses. Sec 309: Information Security Fundamentals and Sec 401: Security Essentials. Well, I figure it would be best to start at the beginning and work my way up so I look at 309. Turns out that they didn't offer the course any time other than at their annual conference down in Orlando, FL (Disney World to be exact). So I talk to the boss and finally get the OK to take the training and travel down.

So the company agreed to send me down to stay at Disney World for training

The conference lasts Feb 24th - March 4th. Class is Feb 25th - March 2nd. I'm staying at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort, located just north of Downtown Disney.

So, with the explanation of why I'm here out of the way... on to the first day at Disney and the SANS 2006 Conference

SANS - Day 1: The Detailed Report

Here's the quick run-down of my day on Feb 23rd:

1. I had a 7:15am flight out of Bradley Intl. Airport, which meant to get through security I needed to be there by 6ish. So I got up early and called for a taxi.
2. Taxi didn't take credit cards, so I had to run into the airport to find an ATM while he held my luggage hostage. Paid $50 for a taxi to the airport... highway robbery if you ask me, but the company is paying for it.
3. Security and boarding were simple and painless. I flew Delta Song, which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't had the opportunity. They have individual TVs in every seat that gets 25 channels, has PPV movies, and video games My TV actually worked this time! (I have a history of malfunctioning TV units on airplanes)
4. The plane got in on time (10:00am) and when I got off I was greeted by 81 DegF weather with high humidity. Considering it had been below 20 DegF when I got on the plane 3hrs earlier, this was a VERY welcome change... even the humidity!
5. Get bags, go to rental car counter, get car. They ran out of the economy cars so I was upgraded to a 2005 Chevy Monte Carlote (sp?)... VERY nice car Zippy too!
6. Drive to Disney, go to wrong resort (there are two Port Orleans resorts, I went to the wrong one). Go to right one and get checked in. Unload bags and get situated by 12:30pm.

So around 1 I went off to Downtown Disney to see what sort of trouble I could get into. They don't do half-day tickets down here so I couldn't afford to run to a park for the rest of the day.

Keep in mind this is my FIRST trip to Disney ever. Yeah, first time to Disney is at 23, and I'm traveling alone... it's a bit odd. So since it's my first time, I have no idea what to expect or what to see.

Disney is THE tourist trap, it's an entire city essentially centered on draining you of every penny you have. Downtown Disney was full of shops and food stands that sell things for at least 3x their actual retail value. Needless to say after doing my souvenir shopping, I'm broke

Some really really cool things about Downtown Disney:
-A HUGE Lego Store People like Cordelia, Karma, and anyone who was reading my Lego Star Destroyer blogs know I'm a bit of a Lego freak This was a sort of mini-nirvana for me
-A massive arcade like none I've ever seen. Sure you have to pay $35 to get in, but once you're in the games and such are "free" Lots of cool stuff. I actually spent about half my afternoon/evening there. They had a few full-body games where you have to move around to win... like a boxing game, snowboarding game etc...
-Cirque Du Solei. While I can't afford to go in ($65 for the cheap seats), they have a permenant show at the end of Downtown Disney. I hear it's very very good.
-A million and one neat little Disney shops. I got little knick-knacks for my family and girlfriend while there... oh and I got a caricature picture drawn of myself

I ate at the Wolfgang Puck place, had a sandwich and a beer and then headed back to the hotel around 6, taking a pass on all the bars and clubs that would open in an hour. I was up at 4am, so I was pretty tired by this point. I went back to my room, watched some TV and fell asleep. Looking forward to the beginning of my Disney adventure!

Day 2: Epcot!
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Zoomba
Locamama
Join Date 12/2003
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Reply #1 February 28, 2006 7:10:31 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I love Disney World. Have fun. I wish my company would pay for me a trip to disney world. Oh yeah, I'm self employed. Is there a way I could make that a tax deductible business expense?

I love the lego store too. I always wanted legos when I was little but I never got them because I was a girl. I got barbies instead. Now I buy legos for my boys but then I have "help" which means try not to take over.

My favorite things at Disney. I don't know I was in full mommy mode there. I liked the parades and the penny press machines. We had so much fun searching them out. I love the water parks. Oh and check out the star wars stuff at MGM. Pretty cool when you're a 70's kid like me. May the force be with you. I love the magic kingdom and animal kingdom the most.
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Zoomba
Texas Wahine
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #2 February 28, 2006 7:28:15 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Kinda sad.
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Zoomba
Danny Bassette
Join Date 02/2003
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Reply #3 February 28, 2006 7:36:59 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Sounds like your having fun
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Zoomba
Zoomba
Join Date 11/2002
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Reply #4 February 28, 2006 7:58:15 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Yeah, I'm having a blast so far! Day 2 was Epcot, but 3,4,5 and 6 have been training all day so no park fun those days. I'm going to hit Magic Kingdom Friday and MGM Saturday (class ends Thursday). This is a rockin trip

TW:
Sad?
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Zoomba
Texas Wahine
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #5 February 28, 2006 8:09:24 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Meh, doing DisneyWorld by yourself. Equal parts sour grapes (we've never been able to afford to take our little ones) and empathy that you weren't/aren't able to share the experience with anyone.

So...kinda sad.
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Zoomba
Zoomba
Join Date 11/2002
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Reply #6 February 28, 2006 8:21:39 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Ahh, yeah. I'm definitely wishing my girlfriend was down here with me... but since that wasn't possible I'm making the most out of it. The upside is that I get to see exactly what I want to see, when I want to see it for as long as I want to see it. I get to eat the food I want etc... So at least there's that
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Zoomba
Dr Guy
Join Date 09/2004
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Reply #7 March 1, 2006 8:22:23 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Do any cabs take plastic?  Definitely over priced.  I would have paid the parking.
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Zoomba
Caracarn1
Join Date 11/2005
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Reply #8 March 1, 2006 1:23:27 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
I hate you Zoomba, why doesn't our crappy company send me to Disney.....nooooo....I'm stuck in CT.

Na, I hope your having fun out there buddy, give me a call soon to rub it in. I'm sitting in my pretty pink cube now, god I am envious.
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Zoomba
Zoomba
Join Date 11/2002
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Reply #9 March 1, 2006 3:07:34 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Parking at the airport for 10 days would have been WAY more expensive. And yeah, some cabs do take plastic, mine in particular didn't though.

Caracarn:
Left a VM on your cell Nya nya nya!
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Zoomba
Dr Guy
Join Date 09/2004
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Reply #10 March 1, 2006 3:19:10 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Parking at the airport for 10 days would have been WAY more expensive. And yeah, some cabs do take plastic, mine in particular didn't though.

Caracarn:
Left a VM on your cell Nya nya nya!

It only costs us $70 for those 10 days, so yea a little more.

But now, would the real Zoomba harass a fellow worker with nya nyas?  Tsk, Tsk!  Goofy has kidnapped Zoomba, and only after one day!

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Zoomba
Caracarn1
Join Date 11/2005
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Reply #11 March 1, 2006 4:09:28 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Spoiler: Zoomba = Goofy
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Zoomba
JillUser
Join Date 11/2003
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Reply #12 March 1, 2006 11:03:50 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Hey, I didn't go to Disney World until I was 30 with 4 and 1yr olds in tow. I think it can be a lot of fun no matter how old you are or who you are with. The advantage you have is you can zip through to the stuff you want to see without worrying if you are keeping anyone else from the stuff they want to be doing.

We went again last year and I hope to go again once the next baby is old enough to walk around.

Enjoy!
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Zoomba
Cordelia
Join Date 07/2002
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Reply #13 March 2, 2006 7:47:49 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
W00t! Sounds like fun and I am jealous.
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Zoomba
Zoomba
Join Date 11/2002
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Reply #14 March 2, 2006 1:22:11 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums
Curse Disney for blocking IRC traffic in the hotels... otherwise I'd have popped in at least briefly in the afternoons to say hi.
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