September 6th, 2014

Family Suites – Part Two

by Brian Walker, Greg Walker and Chance Browne

On February 23, 2000, Chance Browne and I, with our wives and children, attended the opening celebration of the Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort in Orlando, Florida.  Each of our families stayed in a Hi and Lois themed Kidsuite with episodes of the 1999 road trip reproduced on the walls.

This facility was owned and operated by Terry Whaples and Jim Olson.   One of their partners was the former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn, who was at the dedication ceremony.  Here is a photo of us with this great American hero.

Brian Walker, John Glenn and Chance Browne at the opening with owners Terry, John and Henri.

Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort is located on twenty-four acres, one mile from the entrance to Disney World.  In addition to the Kidsuites, there are other specialized accommodations. Classic Suites feature two full-size bedrooms and Residential Suites are for long-term guests.  Cinema Suites offer large screen TVs and theater-style recliners.  The Honeymoon Suite has a heart-shaped whirlpool tub.  Business Suites incorporate a private office with a computer terminal, internet access and a printer.

The Walkers and Brownes also went on a VIP tour of Universal Studios Theme Park and took a safari through Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.  Cartoonists don’t get perks like this very often, so we really took advantage of our all-expenses paid family vacation.

After we returned home, the owners asked us if we could create a few special strips to promote the various types of suites at their resort.  We gladly came up with some ideas and submitted them for approval.  Here are the four completed strips that we sent in gratitude for the hospitality of our gracious hosts.

The Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort was renamed Nickelodeon Suites Resort and is currently in operation.  I don’t know if they still have Hi and Lois Kidsuites with our strips on the walls. If we ever get some grandkids, maybe we’ll go back and see.

– Brian Walker