*Please read this entire description. It is purposeful. Logs without accompanied log requirements will be deleted after a week. This is a difficulty 3 virtual for a reason.*
It's in our nature as geocachers to always be looking for those things that most others don't see, to look for the details, places, Easter eggs, and objects we pass every day but never acknowledge. All of the different lands,Islands, and areas of this resort are chock full of such hidden gems.
The quest before you involves one type of those very items. Metal benchmark disks are scattered throughout the grounds of this resort. People walk past, over, and on them every day and they go unnoticed. I have found many of them throughout the two main parks and CityWalk. I remain constantly in search of new ones that I haven't documented. The prominent ones in the two theme parks are in the dino land, at the transformable robot ride, at the old monster's eatery, and near the exits of each park. I found a new one that I had yet to discover, at the train station in the wizard village, the week before this Virtual was published. I'm highly curious to find if the new park will provide us the treasures of these benchmarks. Sadly, the benchmark hunting section of geocaching.com was removed in January of 2023. I didn't get a chance to document many benchmarks before it was no longer a part of geocache logging. I remain fascinated by the hunt and continue to photograph and document them every time I come across new ones, both inside and outside of this resort. This Virtual is for the geocachers who continue to be benchmark hounds.
Here in CityWalk, there are four benchmarks that I have found. To complete your quest, you must find them each. I have provided you with coordinates for the metal disks and a hint for each as coordinates on GPS devices tend to bounce around here, given interference of all types. One or two may take a little more pursuing. Alas, here's to the thrill of the hunt. The posted coordinates for this geocache are the coordinates for disk #1. Each of these benchmarks contain a numeric code at the bottom of it, following this pattern: #-###. To earn your smiley for this Virtual geocache, email me the numeric codes to each of the four benchmarks. Your email should say: 1. #-### 2. #-###, 3 #-###, 4 #-###. I understand that there will be times when not all of the disks are accessible. When that's the case, please submit as many numeric codes as possible. When you have found each of the benchmarks, send the answers to a specific email address. Look at the benchmarks, there are two words at the top of each of the benchmarks. The two words are the exact same on all four benchmarks. Plug in the two words in the blank within the following email address, all lowercase and without spaces: _____________uor@hotmail.com In your email, please include your caching name and if you'd like, where you're from and how long you've been geocaching. I'd love to know. Like all Virtuals you are required to actually visit the location. I reserve the right to delete logs of geocachers who have not submitted the correct answers to me. I do not know what has been happening lately. I have received several logs, a few back dated, with no correct answers submitted to me. If I do not receive correct answers within a week of you posting your log, I will delete your find. This geocache type and the log requirements may make it as such that it's not for everyone and that's ok. That's the beauty of our hobby, there are many types of hides and there are geocaches out there for every finder, this one may not be one of them for you.
This Virtual will be more difficult between sunset and sunrise. A tool of the trade (TOTT) on any smartphone will make the completion of your quest easily achievable. Given the nature and logistics of this cache, you need to give yourself some time to find each benchmark. It will take approximately 30 minutes, depending on many variables. Do not post the answers or pictures of the benchmarks in your log. Those two types of logs will be deleted. I'd love to see a picture of your shenanigans in CityWalk in your log.
Once I receive your answers, I will of course verify your submission and respond with my congratulations. Again, I reiterate, any logs without corresponding submitted correct answers will be deleted and no smileys will be received.
The coordinates for each benchmark are as follows:
#1 N 028° 28.338' W 081° 27.955' (posted coordinates for this Virtual geocache)
Hint: Need a ride under the bell?
#2 N 028° 28.384' W 081° 27.938'
Hint: A locale named after an interesting creature; it sounds like something one might find on Dr. Moreau's Island.
#3 N 028° 28.368' W 081° 27.953'
Hint: During the Battle for Hogwarts, at one point, the castle was exactly the name of this establishment.
#4 N 028° 28.425' W 081° 27.952'
Hint: Your second favorite Tia wants you to enjoy a snack.
Happiest of hunting to you all. I hope that you enjoy your time at the resort. I always do. I consider it my second home. Admission to CityWalk is always free. Parking is free after 6:00 PM every day. The grounds of CityWalk are usually open from 7:00 AM until at least midnight, daily. Don’t forget to grab the two Adventure Labs here. There are also two other Virtual geocaches waiting for you not far from Benchmark Hounds: The Globe GCAJKEW and Divided We Fall… GC73A6. When you're here completing your quest, search for Event geocaches in CityWalk. If you happen to make this find in January, May, or August you may just be visiting on a night that I have an Event. I look forward to meeting you if that is indeed the case.
This Virtual Reward Geocache is dedicated to all of the geocaching friends I've met and made here in Orlando since I started having Events in January of 2019. It's been an honor and a pleasure to meet you, get to know you, hear about your journeys, be inspired by you, and learn from you all. I always look forward to hearing from you and seeing you all again. I write this looking forward to making many more new geocaching friends here at future Events. Many congratulations to two of those local geofriends, geocaching team Celebration Kim, for FTF honors. Special thanks to two more of those local geofriends DirtyD13 and Scooby Patrol for beta-ing this geocache and their feedback that helped me fine tune the quest.
“May your finds be many, and your DNFs be few. May your terrain and difficulty, both be less than two. May whatever it is you’re looking for, find it’s way to you. And may we all meet again.”
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Geoache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 geocache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Geocache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.