http://www.ihg.com/
Holiday Inn, Country Club Plaza Location
One E. 45th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111 (45th & Main)
phone: 816-753-7400
https://www.druryhotels.com/
Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview
400 W Douglas Ave (cross Streets: W Douglas Ave & N Waco Street)
Wichita, Kansas 67209
phone: 316-262-5000
The link above for the Holiday Inn is just for our group's block of rooms. It
already has the group's Code. If you have trouble, you may call Central
Reservations at: 1-866-280-6326 mentioning our group Code HSR (or I assume Hippo
Society Reunion 2016) I have found though that calling a central number is not
the best route. So I'd like to suggest that IF you have trouble, either first
let me know,
sheila1951@kc.rr.com or email the hotel contact: Kelly Lorigan.
Kelly.Lorigan@kcplazahotel.com
If you will be coming to the Kansas City part of the reunion before going to
Wichita, you Must arrive on
Wednesday, September 28th, any time of day or evening, nothing
planned for that day. On your own:-) You will need to book a room 2 nights,
9/28 and 9/29 (Thursday) Out
Friday, Sept 30th (this hotel is approx. a 35 minute drive from
our airport)
You will want to book the Wichita, Kansas hotel for 2 nights,
Sept 30th, Friday and
Saturday, Oct 1st. Out
Oct
2nd.
Again, IF you have any trouble booking your room on the above website/link,
email or call Kristen Truman,
dph.wic.155.sc@druryhotels.com
Book your rooms by
August 27th to get a group rate
And again, IF you are not able to book the room type you want on this website
(King or Double Queens), then we just need to Add to the block of that type of
room, so let me know Or Kristen Truman at hotel:-) King Deluxe room rate is
$129.95 and the double Queens is $139.95 (our room rates are also good 2 days
prior and 2 days post the given event dates) Parking in the garage is $8.00
per night. You MUST check in to the hotel before parking in the garage!!
You get a lot for your room rate at this hotel!! Free Breakfast buffet--6am to
9:30 am weekdays,
7am
to 10am weekends.
Free popcorn and sodas in the lobby from
3pm
until 10pm every night
Free nightly Kickback meal, beginning
5:30, until
7pm.
Light meal, but I read very good reviews as a nice way to get your free meal:-)
Plus it includes 3 free liquor drinks--beer, wine and hard liquor. This area is
located on the Mezzanine Overlooking the lobby. Free local calls. Free 60
minutes of long-distance calls within the US every day!! Free Wi-Fi Free
airport shuttle (24 hours) If you are flying in, once you Land, call the hotel
and request shuttle pick-up. Once you arrive at the hotel and check in, give
them your flight info/time you need to leave in the shuttle and you will be
added to a list--Please do it WHEN you check in or soon after so you can get
this reserved!!!!!!!!!!!! The airport is not far from this hotel:-) Microwaves,
small refrigerators, Room service. There is a Q line trolley adjacent to
our hotel (free) that can take you all around downtown. Please google it to
learn more:-)
This hotel is a neat historical hotel, updated very nicely and is right on the
Arkansas River with a lovely riverwalk--NICE:-)
John and Sheila will be providing Free bus service in Kansas City, then to
Wichita, then to events in Wichita. It is very strongly urged that If you fly
IN to Kansas City, that you Leave out of Wichita. So far, everybody I know is
leaving out of Wichita. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas:-) Much easier
for you:-)
Please get your hotel rooms booked, a good many already have. These are very
popular hotels in great locations and WILL book up!! And please make airline
reservations soon too. We have just certain dates that work for events and the
airports in these two cities are not Hubs and have fewer flights than larger
cities. It also isn't shown on all travel sites online all of the airlines that
are used in our cities. It depends on who is paying those agencies:-) For
instance, Sue and Tricia ended up on an airline that isn't listed as one going
from Houston to Kansas City, MO!! I believe it was a United Express. We do
have some regional airlines. American Express Travel is the best, but I am
wondering if one has to have an American Express card to access it or a higher
level of card? I do not know this. But if you need a better listing of
airlines for these cities, I will have John list those for me to share with
you.??? Good luck. Please do not wait long on your bookings:-) And I am hoping
most of you can come to KC first. A few newbies in the group (on FB
Hippolotofus) can only go to Wichita for the time they can get off work.
Here is a PDF from Patti
with everything you need to know. This info supercedes everything below.
PRINT IT, READ IT, SAVE IT, BRING IT
Sheila has done all the legwork, asked all the questions and given us all the info we could possibly need. Kudos and thanks to her.
Last Minute Updates from Sheila... |
|
Hippo Reunion. Please make sure you read All the reunion info at the links we have posted to you repeatedly:-) I am running out of time and have been a bit sick, so I will most likely print out my own itinerary that is on the reunion website and just mark through any changes and use that as my final itinerary that I hand out to you all:-) Or print it out yourselves is a good idea too:-):-) There are few updates or changes. Be Sure if you are driving to Wichita that before you enter the parking garage, you check in first----I wanted to make sure you had read this in the reunion link. Also, if you are needing a shuttle pick-up at the airport in Wichita, (free shuttle from hotel there, but Not in KC), call them for pick-up as soon as you land, and once you check in to hotel tell them Right then of your plans to leave Sunday (or whenever it is you leave) and that you need to reserve that shuttle to take you back to the airport and when you need to be at the airport. Don't forget this!!! Please all be very careful to board the bus in each city when the reunion link states you need to board---in each situation as our time is very tight this year. Some people have almost missed a bus before in other reunions. You are responsible for yourself, ok?:-) When you are to board, don't wait to leave your hotel room right at that time--always best to just get up early and get down to that bus a few minutes earlier to find a seat. I'm having to be Mom Sheila about this now:-) I won't be on the bus in KC or at the hotel to help you!:-):-) Another important reminder as some people either forgot or didn't pay attention last year about this. When our large group goes out to eat at the restaurant Sat. (5:30 pm) in Wichita, they will have one bill for each table and one person is to pay it for that table with a credit card, etc. So everybody needs to take CASH! Do Not forget this time:-) No excuses as the restaurant entrance is in the hotel and there is most likely an ATM nearby:-):-) The reunion link shows the special VIP wristband price as $10, but it is now $15 and is also called the Value Pass. This is what you will pay at the Tanganyika Wildlife Park IF you want to feed some of the animals, including a pygmy hippo, lemurs, or a rhino. With the increased amount, we now get 2 Lemur feedings--cool, and a free photo. This does not include the zoo admission. Two separate charges. But you can also pay from $1.00 to $5.00 to feed certain animals---just not the special premium feedings of the hippo and rhino and lemurs. Those are tokens for a few other animals. Also included in the VIP wristband/Value Pass, we can feed the giraffes (twice now I think with the higher fee), 2 Lorikeet feedings, a camel ride, and kids zoo feedings/petting of bunnies, tortoise and guinea pigs. If the weather is too cool, they will our group (a few at a time) in to the little hippo house, and IF they have to do this, they will take away the kids zoo portion of this fee. If you drive to the small zoo and not take the bus, wait for everybody to arrive . They are allowing our group to enter before they normally open . We will get there before 10 am so that we can get there early and take our usual group photos if all pans out. We all need to pay admission, buy our wristbands if you didn't take advantage of the discount I posted several times already:-) So be sure to print out those tickets if you purchased them or the value pass/wristband online with the discount. You must print them out!! I printed mine out, plus got a text of all of it too. If you are 60 or older, you can get a Senior discount--even online doing the discount. The pygmy feeding is ONLY going to be at 10:30am. You must be with us/all together to do this at that time. There is a rhino feeding at 11:30--nor far from the hippos. We have to hurry to do things there, even though it is a small, but COOL zoo---as we must leave at 12:40 to board the bus, or drive to the big zoo next. Sedgwick County Zoo. We have plans there too---must go through admission there and pay. Then meet a keeper at the entrance at 1:45 pm and they will take us to the hippo area. It is close to the entrance of the zoo. Both zoo's are Not hilly--yay! There is also a tram that goes around each 30 mins. and it also has a stop right near the hippos at the big zoo. Then we Must board the bus again at 4:30 and head back to the hotel---dinner reservations there--5:30 pm. I wanted to make sure you read all this in case you are not keeping up or reading the reunion link:-) Thanks, it will be here before we know it!! |
Here is the latest info on our Agenda, from Sheila:
Sept. 29th, Thursday, Kansas City, Missouri
Bus to pick you up at 10 AM in front of the Holiday Inn hotel and bring you
to my house to view the hippo house and Hippo Art Car (her name is Sunshine)
(Arrowhead Stage Lines) And for people driving, my address is:
12309 Granada
Leawood, Kansas 66209
Berkshires Subdivision--just one block East off 124th and Roe --on a cul-de-sac,
we are on your right at the bottom of the cul-de-sac, not many good places to
park close. Our driveway is steepish too:-) Our neighbor's flat driveway butts
up against our side yard and that side yard goes directly in to our hippo rooms
downstairs in case you have trouble walking up this driveway:-)
This is about 20-25 minutes from your hotel
Back on the bus at noon and head to
Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue at 9520 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, Kansas
66212
Back on the bus after eating and back to your hotel. You are then on your
own until time for...
The Liverpool Band
Concert in the ballroom, main level-- 8pm, and that is when the band
begins, so Please be there earlier to get snacks, beverages and find your
seat:-) (there will also be tables set up:-) Please do not enter the room before
7pm. John and I have hired this Beatles Tribute Band, rented the ballroom at
your hotel and we will have some snacks and beverages. There will not be a cash
bar or liquor, but there is a restaurant and bar near the ballroom . (I did a
bit of a survey on FB with some in our group and asked about this before
deciding on just sodas and bottles of water:-) They will play approximately 1
1/2 hours. There will be a small dance floor.
After the band finishes, we will begin play
Human
Hungry Hungry Hippos:-) For those who can and want to:-) John and I have all
the necessary equipment to play this. The fellow in the band who plays Paul
McCartney wants to play with us.:-) You will laugh your tails off watching this
and it is advised to wear Depends even:-):-) We have the ballroom until
midnight.
As Always, we are Not allowed to bring in Any food or drink in to the
ballroom---it is in my contract, so thank you!! The band will be in this room
for a few hours, setting up then testing everything and NO one is allowed
inside, so thanks for not going in the ballroom until 7pm or later:-) The band
appreciates it:-)
We will be providing cookies, chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin,
fudge brownies with nuts and I've asked if they can do one doz without nuts, so
I'll find that out later. Also a couple of cheese and cracker trays and some
fruit. Several types of sodas, including diet, and bottled waters. The beverages
will be in a refrigerator I'm told!! Plus I had some custom paper plates and
napkins made and they will provide glasses and ice.
A few people outside our group have been invited to simply help fill the seats
so the band isn't playing to such a small group:-) Each of them knows all about
our group:-)
Friday morning---10 AM, the Big bus in front of the hotel will again pick
you up at 10 AM and drive to Wichita, KS for the main events of this reunion:-)
Please be On time!!! It is approximately a 3-hour FUN drive with your hippo
lover friends. I have asked that the bus make one stop at a particular TA Truck
stop I know about. Very clean, good restrooms, a restaurant and I think it also
has a Wendy's. It is a large bus, comfy and has a restroom and it seats 56
people, so plenty of room for moving about or changing seats:-) And lots of
space then for your luggage as well.
Arrive at the
Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview with all that information shown previously. Be
sure to check in before heading to the parking garage if you are driving!! And
if flying out of Wichita ( (hopefully), be sure when you check in to let the
front desk know if you want to take the free, 24 hr. shuttle to the airport and
what time you need to Leave the hotel. Or do this right after checking in, but
get on that list asap!!!!!:-)
Free Time until...
FREE 5:30pm Kickback light meal on the Mezzanine overlooking the lobby
I am sure some or all of us might want to take advantage of this. I've read lots of reviews of this to
know plenty of people make it their dinner! Or, please eat anywhere else before
going in to the meeting room/ballroom. This free meal also includes beverages
And 3 free liquor drinks---wine, beer and hard liquor. They have this every
single evening!!
Our Meet & Greet in the ballroom there will begin around 6:30-ish. We
have the ballroom starting at 6:00pm, so you can get there that early if you want. But
please be there no later than 6:30 (ish). We all will chip in on the Meeting room, service fees, taxes and
beverages. The cost Per person (any age) is $29.00.
$1.00 was added to this amount to chip in on the Nile hippos zoo chat at the big
zoo. Stuart will be taking these payments for me as usual. He will give you his
PO Box number to send a check or use paypal. This payment will be due no later
than August 12th, Friday as I have to pay for this one month in advance this
year. And have to allow time for receiving the payments in the mail from Stuart
and making a deposit:-) Once in the
ballroom, we will play the 2 super fun games that David Soto has all the usual
details to. Please read all of his GAME details. You can play
and take hippo gifts, or not:-) After the games, some of us are interested in
Karaoke in the ballroom:-)
By the way, as usual Jen will have a table set up to sell her fantastic ceramic
hippos. They sell super fast and you Must have Cash to buy one. She can only
take a certain amount/weight as they are flying International from France!! She
will sell these before the games begin. Be aware then of packing it to take
home:-)
There will be only beverages in the ballroom. As usual, we all need to chip in
on the cost of the room, service fees, taxes and beverages. Sodas and waters.
Again, we cannot take Any food or drink In to the ballroom. Thank you:-)
There are sleeping rooms above our ballroom and they sort of begin quiet time at
10pm. They will try to book people in our group in to those sleeping rooms:-)
Saturday morning 9AM. MUST be ON time!!! This schedule is more
complicated and almost to the minute to coordinate since we are going to 2
different zoos. We will leave ON the bus out front of the hotel AT 9AM and head
to Tanganyika Wildlife Park
in Goddard, KS, about 20 mins from our hotel. 1000 South Hawkins Lane. (some are
also driving) This is on Oct. 1st. The zoo does not open this day until 10:30
am, but they are allowing our group in at 10am. We won't have a lot of time to
do just everything, but it is a small and flat zoo with very easy parking too.
We all must pay for our admission as we enter. They are a small, family
owned zoo that does not get any other money from government, etc. They are not
all that cheap, and are at least giving us $1.00 off each ticket. Also they have
lower senior fees. This is a bit complicated for the feeding of different
animals. Since a lot of people feed them, they of course cannot give you too
much to feed them all. One has to pay to feed any of the animals. Although some
can be petted for free:-) You can pay anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 to feed
certain animals and a certain amount of food and time. But what WE will need to
do IF you want to feed the pygmy hippo is pay for a $10 VIP wristband. For this
you get 2 Premium feedings, which can be the pygmy hippo, a rhino or Lemurs. But
the Hippo feeding for us will be AT 10:30 am and IF it is warm enough that early
in the morning to have the hippo outside it's barn, we will feed it that way,
but IF it is too cold, we will take turns going in it's barn to feed it. But
only around 6 people at a time. So there may be some who do not care anything
about feeding the pygmy hippo:-) Otherwise, the hippo feeding is at 1pm, and we
will Not be there then, so this is our Only time and chance to feed it. 10:30
am!!! The rhino feeding is Only at 11:30 am. Those are the only 2 designated
feedings. If we have to feed the hippo in the barn privately, and use one of our
premium feedings, they will need to take away one thing from the rest of the
list of feedings/animals. Which is the childrens petting zoo area, which
included feeding bunnies, guinea pigs, tortoises. If you do not feed the pygmy
or go in it's barn, you still can do the kids zoo, Plus you would still have 2
Premium feedings which then can be the Lemurs (I love lemurs) and rhino, or
maybe twice with the Lemurs?:-) Then also a camel ride, 2 feedings of giraffes,
2 of the Lorikeets, 4 feedings at the kids zoo. So please think about this and
know what you want to do when you arrive and have money ready:-):-)
Then board the bus again (please be on time) at 12:40 pm. Heading to the
big zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo,
5555 West Zoo Blvd, Wichita, KS. Everybody needs to pay for their admission
here too--no discount, except for Seniors and young ones:-) A zoo employee
will meet us at the entrance at 1:45 pm and take us to the Nile Hippo area. Also
a flat zoo-- Not a bad walk they said.:-) We will have a private hippo
chat Inside their building, then they will be let outside.
We must be back on the bus AT 4:30 pm as we have a group restaurant
reservation at 5:30. You may keep your hippo t-shirts on or quickly change
clothing:-) It is a nice restaurant called
AVI Seabar & Chophouse with the entrance being in our hotel, so we don't
have to leave the hotel even!! They can take a group our size and we can order
from the entire menu. So a good variety of food and different prices for all.
But, Please take CASH and pay PER table. Pay one person at your table for your
meal, drinks, and chipping in on tip and that one person can pay for all and use
credit card, or other. Do not forget to take CASH. This happened last year and
some did not take cash!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is likely an ATM in the hotel, so No excuses this year:-) LOL It is sure
not required to go to the restaurant at 5:30 pm with the group!!! I think the
zoo will close at 5pm if you drove and wanted to stay longer and not go to the
restaurant or use the bus.:-)
That is all that is planned. On your own otherwise, Most everybody is leaving
Sunday, Oct 2nd and again, it is best to head for home from Wichita!!
I hope to see many of you in Kansas City first. Wonder if the
Liverpool
band/Beatles will sing Kansas City? Kansas City Here I come:-)
Please print this out as an itinerary to go by. I will have some printed out
once I see you:-) I will also hand out cell phone lists as usual to, but not
online. If you want the list early, email me and ask:-)
Sheila1951@kc.rr.com
Stuart will post the info on the Official reunion t-shirts
when that is up and running. He will take those orders as usual and there
will be a deadline to pay for your tees. Many will be handed out in KC or
Wichita so if you are attending the reunion, do Not pay for shipping!!!-- and
for those not attending the reunion and that Patti has to ship be sure you ADD
for shipping to the cost of the tee.
Thanks all!
Hello fellow reunion attendees!
We will be having two games this year.
If you want to participate in the first game - you will need 1 hippo
gift. It needs to and must be valued at $25 or more. The prize you choose will
be yours to keep. No stealing. Prizes remain wrapped until the very end.
If you want to play the second game - you must provide 1 hippo gift valued at
$35 or more. It is the traditional game we have played many times, where you may
steal an others prize by trading yours for theirs. The final name drawn will get
the pick of any hippo they want from those participating. NOTE: Nobody will take
home the gift they brought - I have fixed that error in the rules.
Things to remember:
People traveling often have packing restrictions. Please be mindful of the
dimensions of your prize.
All Hippo-theme Gifts should be new - no white rhino rejects or plush's allowed.
Exceptions would include antiques or pottery that is collectible, duplicates you
own that others would appreciate like hippo jewelry, small hippo statues or
handmade hippo items.
Please try to find one gift that is at least the minimum instead of say 2 or 3
$10 items bundled together. However if at least one hippo is worth the minimum,
feel free to add as many smaller or equally nice hippos in the prize. Many
people will spend over the minimum so if you can afford it, feel free to spend
extra. Any questions - E-mail me B/C.
Gifts need to be wrapped. Gift bags and tissue are easy. If you want to be
economical you can use the newspaper, lunch bags or toilet tissue from the
hotel. We just need the hippos covered to add mystery and intrigue. Hippo gift
wrap, hippo gift bags or hippo appliques encouraged.
EVERYONE will include their name with the gifts. We will say who each item is
from so make sure we can easily find it. Your name in a business envelope works
well. Everyone likes to know who brought what Hippo.
Everyone is invited to play - no exclusions. We are one big Hippo family. If
you've got the required hippo gifts of the appropriate value then you may play
any or all the games. You do not have to play at all if you do not wish.
Remember, any questions - E-mail me Back Channel (B/C).
Let the Hippo games gift buying begin!