Orlando for my 40th - Trip Report - 2nd to 10th November 2007
Video Montage
Click here to watch a video montage of this trip.
Pre Trip
I had decided a long time ago that, when the time came, I was going to celebrate my 40th birthday in style... and I'm now satisfied that I did! I wanted to go away somewhere with Fe. Everybody needs that once in a while and being a self confessed Americophile I wanted to go to the USA. As such I narrowed my choice down to either Las Vegas , New York or Orlando. I'd been to Vegas as part of a road trip with a friend of mine and his family when I was 19 and I'd been to Orlando twice before - once with my Dad and brother when I was 14 and another time with my own family in 2004. Therefore New York was the top contender for a while but, to be honest, I didn't feel grown up enough to go to New York so Orlando won!
Click here to watch a video montage of this trip.
Pre Trip
I had decided a long time ago that, when the time came, I was going to celebrate my 40th birthday in style... and I'm now satisfied that I did! I wanted to go away somewhere with Fe. Everybody needs that once in a while and being a self confessed Americophile I wanted to go to the USA. As such I narrowed my choice down to either Las Vegas , New York or Orlando. I'd been to Vegas as part of a road trip with a friend of mine and his family when I was 19 and I'd been to Orlando twice before - once with my Dad and brother when I was 14 and another time with my own family in 2004. Therefore New York was the top contender for a while but, to be honest, I didn't feel grown up enough to go to New York so Orlando won!
We both woke at 5am which was a little bit early even though we needed an early start today. I called room service and had breakfast brought to the room before setting off to Discovery Cove. We got horribly lost a couple of times but eventually the Sat Nav pulled through and we got there just a little bit late. The weather was gorgeous all day without a cloud in the sky but it was a little cool especially early in the morning although later on it warmed up to about 24°C.
Today we're being a Trainer For A Day. This package, which was booked well in advance, included the regular 30-minute dolphin interaction in the morning, an "enhanced" deep-water dolphin interaction in the afternoon with only the Trainer For A Day group in the lagoon, a "double dolphin foot push" (you're pushed through the lagoon by a dolphin on each foot), a private individual photo session with two dolphins, a behind-the-scenes tour of the restricted areas, special meet and greets with tropical birds, sloths and anteaters and you get to spend the whole day with a trainer to learn what it's like to work with the animals. You also get a Discovery Cove gift bag with waterproof camera and trainer t-shirt.
On arrival we were introduced to the other 4 people in our group and our trainer, Hillary, who was very sweet and very funny. Hillary did a great job of looking after us all day. The first thing she did was take us to breakfast where we just had tea and fruit (we were both still rather full from all the pastries at the hotel!). Then we got fitted out with our shortie wet suits.
Once suited up our first stop was the aviary. Hillary asked if anyone in the group didn't like birds and my hand shot up but I went in all the same. The aviary is split into 3 sections with different birds in each. You can get a little cup of food so the birds swoop down and feed from it - I gave this a very wide berth especially as the birds have a tendency to land on your head. By the time we'd moved into the 3rd section of the aviary I'd had enough and needed to leave... now! Hillary was nowhere to be found and Fe was engrossed in the birds while I was panicking. The only way out that I knew of was back the way we came but that meant going through the first two sections again. So, instead, I headed towards an unmarked door but the guy dishing out the bird food wanted a conversation about why I wanted to get out but I, frankly speaking, wasn't in the mood. In the end he said that the door lead to the pool. That doesn't sound too bad I thought so through the door I went. As the door slammed shut behind me I found myself at the top of a set of steps that lead down to a river and nothing else. This river was deep, wide and fast moving with high banks of rocks on either side. The idea behind the river is that you're supposed to get in and float all the way round with a life jacket on. On the other side of the river just a bit up stream was an entrance/exit point. The door behind me had locked itself so there was nowhere else to go but in the river. Despite having my camera in my hand and not having a life jacket I decided to go for it. I held my precious camera up high and waded in while a few bemused people floated past me. It was getting deeper and deeper the further I went and pretty soon it was up to my chest. Sometimes it dropped in depth quite dramatically - it's been made to be just just a real river. After a couple of minutes a life guard, who'd been watching me from the other side of the river bank, shouted over to me. I explained that I'd had a panic attack in the aviary - he seemed to understand. He was high above me on the bank of rocks but he could reach my camera so I could swim the 15 meters to the steps. I got out and he handed me my camera. As luck would have it I'd found myself at the entrance to the aviary but it was in the shade and I was now getting very cold. It took about 10 minutes for the rest of the group to come out of the aviary but I was the hero for the rest of the day because I'd swum upstream with my camera in my hand and my sandals on.
After the "excitement" of the aviary we had the animal meet and greet with a Turtle, a Two Toed Sloth and a Kookaburra before going behind the scenes to see the engineering, water tanks, purification and the food preparation areas.
Then it was time for the first dolphin encounter. This was a regular dolphin interaction and lasts about 30 minutes with quite a number of other groups sharing the lagoon. Our dolphin was Diego. We got to stroke, kiss and feed Diego but it was a little staged for my liking and all done on cues and prompts. The best bit turned out to be when the trainer (not Hillary but another girl) was giving this very intense and serious talk about Diego's anatomy. Diego was on his back in the water so we could see his belly and the trainer was explaining that his genitals were tucked up inside him at which I remarked "he's not the only one". This completely flawed Hillary whose shoulders were going as she tried to choke back the laughter. The rest of the group were equally amused and the trainer doing the talking did a stalwart job in carrying on with the talk and ignoring my comment despite the laughter from everyone else.
The finale of this interaction is when Diego takes you for a ride down the length of the lagoon while you have one hand on his dorsal and another on his right flipper. I was the last to have a go and I got what they call the "turbo ride". I'd like to say that the whole interaction really did something for me but it didn't. It was good but I didn't feel "at one" with the dolphin as so many people seem to.
Today we're being a Trainer For A Day. This package, which was booked well in advance, included the regular 30-minute dolphin interaction in the morning, an "enhanced" deep-water dolphin interaction in the afternoon with only the Trainer For A Day group in the lagoon, a "double dolphin foot push" (you're pushed through the lagoon by a dolphin on each foot), a private individual photo session with two dolphins, a behind-the-scenes tour of the restricted areas, special meet and greets with tropical birds, sloths and anteaters and you get to spend the whole day with a trainer to learn what it's like to work with the animals. You also get a Discovery Cove gift bag with waterproof camera and trainer t-shirt.
On arrival we were introduced to the other 4 people in our group and our trainer, Hillary, who was very sweet and very funny. Hillary did a great job of looking after us all day. The first thing she did was take us to breakfast where we just had tea and fruit (we were both still rather full from all the pastries at the hotel!). Then we got fitted out with our shortie wet suits.
Once suited up our first stop was the aviary. Hillary asked if anyone in the group didn't like birds and my hand shot up but I went in all the same. The aviary is split into 3 sections with different birds in each. You can get a little cup of food so the birds swoop down and feed from it - I gave this a very wide berth especially as the birds have a tendency to land on your head. By the time we'd moved into the 3rd section of the aviary I'd had enough and needed to leave... now! Hillary was nowhere to be found and Fe was engrossed in the birds while I was panicking. The only way out that I knew of was back the way we came but that meant going through the first two sections again. So, instead, I headed towards an unmarked door but the guy dishing out the bird food wanted a conversation about why I wanted to get out but I, frankly speaking, wasn't in the mood. In the end he said that the door lead to the pool. That doesn't sound too bad I thought so through the door I went. As the door slammed shut behind me I found myself at the top of a set of steps that lead down to a river and nothing else. This river was deep, wide and fast moving with high banks of rocks on either side. The idea behind the river is that you're supposed to get in and float all the way round with a life jacket on. On the other side of the river just a bit up stream was an entrance/exit point. The door behind me had locked itself so there was nowhere else to go but in the river. Despite having my camera in my hand and not having a life jacket I decided to go for it. I held my precious camera up high and waded in while a few bemused people floated past me. It was getting deeper and deeper the further I went and pretty soon it was up to my chest. Sometimes it dropped in depth quite dramatically - it's been made to be just just a real river. After a couple of minutes a life guard, who'd been watching me from the other side of the river bank, shouted over to me. I explained that I'd had a panic attack in the aviary - he seemed to understand. He was high above me on the bank of rocks but he could reach my camera so I could swim the 15 meters to the steps. I got out and he handed me my camera. As luck would have it I'd found myself at the entrance to the aviary but it was in the shade and I was now getting very cold. It took about 10 minutes for the rest of the group to come out of the aviary but I was the hero for the rest of the day because I'd swum upstream with my camera in my hand and my sandals on.
After the "excitement" of the aviary we had the animal meet and greet with a Turtle, a Two Toed Sloth and a Kookaburra before going behind the scenes to see the engineering, water tanks, purification and the food preparation areas.
Then it was time for the first dolphin encounter. This was a regular dolphin interaction and lasts about 30 minutes with quite a number of other groups sharing the lagoon. Our dolphin was Diego. We got to stroke, kiss and feed Diego but it was a little staged for my liking and all done on cues and prompts. The best bit turned out to be when the trainer (not Hillary but another girl) was giving this very intense and serious talk about Diego's anatomy. Diego was on his back in the water so we could see his belly and the trainer was explaining that his genitals were tucked up inside him at which I remarked "he's not the only one". This completely flawed Hillary whose shoulders were going as she tried to choke back the laughter. The rest of the group were equally amused and the trainer doing the talking did a stalwart job in carrying on with the talk and ignoring my comment despite the laughter from everyone else.
The finale of this interaction is when Diego takes you for a ride down the length of the lagoon while you have one hand on his dorsal and another on his right flipper. I was the last to have a go and I got what they call the "turbo ride". I'd like to say that the whole interaction really did something for me but it didn't. It was good but I didn't feel "at one" with the dolphin as so many people seem to.
Next we had lunch sat outside in the blazing sunshine and then we met their sharks up close and personal. We took it in turn to stroke one which had very rough skin like sandpaper. Then we were put in a pool with about 20 stingray which I didn't like at all and quickly got out before we were put into a pool of big fish which was better but not much! The idea behind these two sessions was we were supposed to hand feed them but the stingray have teeth like molars and the fish suck the food from your hand. Fe fared much better than me and I was really proud of how long she stayed in the water despite having her toe sucked by one of the big fish.
Then we had 30 minutes on our own. Fe and I elected to go in the river (the one that I swam in earlier while escaping from the aviary!) which is much, much, much warmer than the dolphin pools. We went all the way round but it really is an artificial river with some very deep bits, shallow bits, fast and slow currents and waterfalls. It was quite exhausting because, without a life vest on, you have to swim to keep afloat and it's a long way round!
And finally it was time for our second dolphin interaction. This time we had one of the three dolphin lagoons to ourselves. Excellent! They use two dolphins for this interaction and we were introduced to Capricorn who's their oldest and biggest dolphin. Capricorn is also the dolphin that Fe had when she had her interaction here at Christmas 2004 with her mum, Dee. Fe went nuts for Capricorn to the point of gushing! More stroking and feeding and tricks. To finish off you take it in turns to swim to the deepest part of the pool where you meet another trainer. You're told to lie on your stomach, lock your knees, don't point your toes and keep your hands by your side. Then, out of nowhere, two dolphins swim up behind you and push you through the water at high speed by putting their noses to the soles of your feet. It's not the most comfortable of experiences but great fun and totally exhilarating.
After this we showered and got dressed, collected our goodies (Trainer T Shirt, photos, photo CD and DVD) and then we set off back to the hotel with the car roof down! Very blowy.
Back at the hotel we both feel asleep on the bed at 5pm totally exhausted. The intention was to wake at 6:30pm and go and have supper in The Kitchen but, instead, we slept through to 9pm, ordered room service and watched Die Hard 4.0 on the In Room Movie Channel. Fe fell asleep again as soon as she'd finished her meal but I managed to see all but the last 5 minutes of the movie... doh
Day 3 - Sunday 4th November - Universal Studios
We managed to sleep through until 7am and we went to breakfast in the Club Lounge but it was heaving so we just got what we wanted and took it back to the room. We had built into our itinerary some times to talk to the kids and Dee via Skype on the laptop so, after breakfast, we called them at 9am (2pm in the UK). Both kids were happy and smiley and did things like blow kisses, pull faces, "hug" the video camera, etc. It was so good to see them happy and Dee said that everything was okay. This was a huge relief.
Afterwards we headed off to Universal Studios. It was another beautiful day and even warmer so we walked the short walk from the hotel to the Studios. At the turn stiles we presented our key cards only to be told that they don't get us into the parks - oh, I thought they did! The confusion arose because the room cards do act as Priority Passes for the rides once you're inside the parks and they'll get you on a ride whenever you want and however many times you want - no restrictions (Disney World please take note!).
Fortunately I had a voucher for a couple of Flex Tickets but the hotel couldn't, for some reason, convert them into actual tickets. They suggested that we go to the Group Sales Counter at the park entrance and convert the voucher there. We didn't walk this time instead we went by bicycle rickshaw and a very helpful chap managed to change the voucher into tickets with no waiting.
Once inside the Studios we did Shrek 4D, the Horror Make Up Show (which was hysterical), Terminator 2 3D (it seems bit dated now!), Twister (surprisingly good), E.T. Adventure (cute but good), Jaws (always excellent!), Men In Black Alien Attack (good fun) and Animal Actors (rubbish!). We also saw the Blues Brothers Revue which was very good but much shorter than we remember. We had lunch at Mel's Drive In Diner while a rock 'n' roll band played (very cool) and on our way out of the park we heard them playing again so we stopped by for a proper look. When they started playing Hand Jive, Fe started doing all the actions and this was noticed by the band so they wanted her up on stage for their "participation" bit. The only way Fe would go up was if I went with her so in for a penny and all that. It was a good laugh especially when the band kept playing faster and faster. It was very hard to keep up with all the actions but very funny.
On the way out of the Studios Fe suggested that we check out City Walk and get a pizza. Well, we checked out City Walk and there wasn't a pizza in sight! The only glimmer of hope was a place that turned out to be shut. But we did have a laugh going round.
Back at the hotel we asked the Concierge about pizza and he gave us a few numbers of places that deliver pizza to the hotel and among them was Pizza Hut - things were finally looking up. Back in the room I called Pizza Hut but it was a 90 minute wait. In the end we called room service (no pizza on the menu) and we both had grilled salmon which was nice but a little cool.
Day 4 - Monday 5th November - Islands of Adventure and Magic Kingdom
We got up at about 7am again today and went to pickup some breakfast things from the Club Lounge to take back to the room but it was much quieter in the lounge today and we managed to get a table so we stayed until it got too noisy. When we returned to the room we packed and by 10:30am we were downstairs in the lobby checking out. We left our baggage in the hotel luggage store and went off to Islands Of Adventure (IOA) by a water taxi which was conveniently waiting at the dock.
We had a really good morning at IOA even though we only went on a few things. The weather was really good again too it was very hot and very sunny. There are some really extreme rides here (like The Hulk, Fearfall and Dueling Dragons) that are not for the faint hearted and that includes us. But we did go on Spiderman which is a cross between 3D and a ride. It was truly excellent - especially the 400 foot sensory drop off a skyscraper as you really do start to believe that you're falling. It's so good that we rode it again after lunch. We also did the Jurassic Park River Ride which was good - especially the T Rex at the end before you get soaked. We also saw the Sinbad Show which was really lame with hammy acting! By 3pm we'd had enough and went back to the hotel to collect the bags and the car and off we went to Disney World!
Then we had 30 minutes on our own. Fe and I elected to go in the river (the one that I swam in earlier while escaping from the aviary!) which is much, much, much warmer than the dolphin pools. We went all the way round but it really is an artificial river with some very deep bits, shallow bits, fast and slow currents and waterfalls. It was quite exhausting because, without a life vest on, you have to swim to keep afloat and it's a long way round!
And finally it was time for our second dolphin interaction. This time we had one of the three dolphin lagoons to ourselves. Excellent! They use two dolphins for this interaction and we were introduced to Capricorn who's their oldest and biggest dolphin. Capricorn is also the dolphin that Fe had when she had her interaction here at Christmas 2004 with her mum, Dee. Fe went nuts for Capricorn to the point of gushing! More stroking and feeding and tricks. To finish off you take it in turns to swim to the deepest part of the pool where you meet another trainer. You're told to lie on your stomach, lock your knees, don't point your toes and keep your hands by your side. Then, out of nowhere, two dolphins swim up behind you and push you through the water at high speed by putting their noses to the soles of your feet. It's not the most comfortable of experiences but great fun and totally exhilarating.
After this we showered and got dressed, collected our goodies (Trainer T Shirt, photos, photo CD and DVD) and then we set off back to the hotel with the car roof down! Very blowy.
Back at the hotel we both feel asleep on the bed at 5pm totally exhausted. The intention was to wake at 6:30pm and go and have supper in The Kitchen but, instead, we slept through to 9pm, ordered room service and watched Die Hard 4.0 on the In Room Movie Channel. Fe fell asleep again as soon as she'd finished her meal but I managed to see all but the last 5 minutes of the movie... doh
Day 3 - Sunday 4th November - Universal Studios
We managed to sleep through until 7am and we went to breakfast in the Club Lounge but it was heaving so we just got what we wanted and took it back to the room. We had built into our itinerary some times to talk to the kids and Dee via Skype on the laptop so, after breakfast, we called them at 9am (2pm in the UK). Both kids were happy and smiley and did things like blow kisses, pull faces, "hug" the video camera, etc. It was so good to see them happy and Dee said that everything was okay. This was a huge relief.
Afterwards we headed off to Universal Studios. It was another beautiful day and even warmer so we walked the short walk from the hotel to the Studios. At the turn stiles we presented our key cards only to be told that they don't get us into the parks - oh, I thought they did! The confusion arose because the room cards do act as Priority Passes for the rides once you're inside the parks and they'll get you on a ride whenever you want and however many times you want - no restrictions (Disney World please take note!).
Fortunately I had a voucher for a couple of Flex Tickets but the hotel couldn't, for some reason, convert them into actual tickets. They suggested that we go to the Group Sales Counter at the park entrance and convert the voucher there. We didn't walk this time instead we went by bicycle rickshaw and a very helpful chap managed to change the voucher into tickets with no waiting.
Once inside the Studios we did Shrek 4D, the Horror Make Up Show (which was hysterical), Terminator 2 3D (it seems bit dated now!), Twister (surprisingly good), E.T. Adventure (cute but good), Jaws (always excellent!), Men In Black Alien Attack (good fun) and Animal Actors (rubbish!). We also saw the Blues Brothers Revue which was very good but much shorter than we remember. We had lunch at Mel's Drive In Diner while a rock 'n' roll band played (very cool) and on our way out of the park we heard them playing again so we stopped by for a proper look. When they started playing Hand Jive, Fe started doing all the actions and this was noticed by the band so they wanted her up on stage for their "participation" bit. The only way Fe would go up was if I went with her so in for a penny and all that. It was a good laugh especially when the band kept playing faster and faster. It was very hard to keep up with all the actions but very funny.
On the way out of the Studios Fe suggested that we check out City Walk and get a pizza. Well, we checked out City Walk and there wasn't a pizza in sight! The only glimmer of hope was a place that turned out to be shut. But we did have a laugh going round.
Back at the hotel we asked the Concierge about pizza and he gave us a few numbers of places that deliver pizza to the hotel and among them was Pizza Hut - things were finally looking up. Back in the room I called Pizza Hut but it was a 90 minute wait. In the end we called room service (no pizza on the menu) and we both had grilled salmon which was nice but a little cool.
Day 4 - Monday 5th November - Islands of Adventure and Magic Kingdom
We got up at about 7am again today and went to pickup some breakfast things from the Club Lounge to take back to the room but it was much quieter in the lounge today and we managed to get a table so we stayed until it got too noisy. When we returned to the room we packed and by 10:30am we were downstairs in the lobby checking out. We left our baggage in the hotel luggage store and went off to Islands Of Adventure (IOA) by a water taxi which was conveniently waiting at the dock.
We had a really good morning at IOA even though we only went on a few things. The weather was really good again too it was very hot and very sunny. There are some really extreme rides here (like The Hulk, Fearfall and Dueling Dragons) that are not for the faint hearted and that includes us. But we did go on Spiderman which is a cross between 3D and a ride. It was truly excellent - especially the 400 foot sensory drop off a skyscraper as you really do start to believe that you're falling. It's so good that we rode it again after lunch. We also did the Jurassic Park River Ride which was good - especially the T Rex at the end before you get soaked. We also saw the Sinbad Show which was really lame with hammy acting! By 3pm we'd had enough and went back to the hotel to collect the bags and the car and off we went to Disney World!
We drove straight to the Grand Floridian Hotel which was to be our home for the rest of the holiday. The hotel is incredibly similar in style to the Disneyland Hotel in Paris so we were immediately at home having stayed there several times. On check we were taken to our room by a porter in a buggy. Our room was in building number 9 (Big Pine Key) just across the way from the main building on the shore of The Seven Seas Lagoon and, best of all, we had a view of the Magic Kingdom which was pre-booked.
The room was a regular room but it was brilliant! It was really homely and big with one firm King sized bed with bedside tables on both sides of the bed (Hard Rock Hotel please note!), a sofa, a comfy chair with footstool, a coffee table, a sensible sized safe in the closet (Hard Rock Hotel also please note!), a desk, plenty of power points, a fridge, a large LG flat screen TV, a lovely bathroom and a balcony complete with furniture. All in all it was fabulous.
Once I'd tipped the porter we literally ditched our stuff and got on the monorail. One stop later we were walking into the Magic Kingdom. Both Universal Studios yesterday and IOA this morning were pretty quiet but the Magic Kingdom was quite busy at 5pm.
We saw the Dream Along With Mickey show that was in full swing on the stage in front of Cinderella's Castle (it being the "Year Of A Millions Dreams") and the show featured a full cast of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald (who was the hero), Peter Pan, Captain Hook, etc. After the show we headed into Frontierland to go on Big Thunder Mountain but it was quite a queue so we got a couple of Fast Passes and went and watched the Country Bear Jamboree which I've not seen in 26 years and it was exactly how I remembered it.
By the time we came out it was dark and the temperature had dropped. Fe was getting cold so we hunted the shops for a fleece for Fe. We eventually found a nice Tinker Bell fleece in a shop on Main Street USA. We then went back to Frontierland and rode Big Thunder Mountain in the dark. Great fun. We then went on the Haunted Mansion which has been updated and much improved. We then decided to call it a day but on the way out the Spectromagic Parade was in full swing so we stopped and watched the rest of it. We actually got a good view.
We were then in the mood again for pizza like we were last night so we jumped on the monorail and had a look in the Contemporary Hotel for a place that sells pizza without luck so we got back on the monorail and went back to the Floridian to find that their 24 hour food court sells pizza so we stopped there for supper. The pizza, when it eventually came, was huge (16 inches!) and we could only manage half of it. It wasn't that great but we were starving.
We went back to the room, unpacked and flaked out in our gorgeous sumptuous room right in the heart of the "magic".
Day 5 - Tuesday 6th November - Disney Studios
After I got dressed this morning I went out onto our balcony and took some photos and video of our view of the Magic Kingdom along with the early morning sunshine and mist on the lake. It was stunning.
The room was a regular room but it was brilliant! It was really homely and big with one firm King sized bed with bedside tables on both sides of the bed (Hard Rock Hotel please note!), a sofa, a comfy chair with footstool, a coffee table, a sensible sized safe in the closet (Hard Rock Hotel also please note!), a desk, plenty of power points, a fridge, a large LG flat screen TV, a lovely bathroom and a balcony complete with furniture. All in all it was fabulous.
Once I'd tipped the porter we literally ditched our stuff and got on the monorail. One stop later we were walking into the Magic Kingdom. Both Universal Studios yesterday and IOA this morning were pretty quiet but the Magic Kingdom was quite busy at 5pm.
We saw the Dream Along With Mickey show that was in full swing on the stage in front of Cinderella's Castle (it being the "Year Of A Millions Dreams") and the show featured a full cast of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald (who was the hero), Peter Pan, Captain Hook, etc. After the show we headed into Frontierland to go on Big Thunder Mountain but it was quite a queue so we got a couple of Fast Passes and went and watched the Country Bear Jamboree which I've not seen in 26 years and it was exactly how I remembered it.
By the time we came out it was dark and the temperature had dropped. Fe was getting cold so we hunted the shops for a fleece for Fe. We eventually found a nice Tinker Bell fleece in a shop on Main Street USA. We then went back to Frontierland and rode Big Thunder Mountain in the dark. Great fun. We then went on the Haunted Mansion which has been updated and much improved. We then decided to call it a day but on the way out the Spectromagic Parade was in full swing so we stopped and watched the rest of it. We actually got a good view.
We were then in the mood again for pizza like we were last night so we jumped on the monorail and had a look in the Contemporary Hotel for a place that sells pizza without luck so we got back on the monorail and went back to the Floridian to find that their 24 hour food court sells pizza so we stopped there for supper. The pizza, when it eventually came, was huge (16 inches!) and we could only manage half of it. It wasn't that great but we were starving.
We went back to the room, unpacked and flaked out in our gorgeous sumptuous room right in the heart of the "magic".
Day 5 - Tuesday 6th November - Disney Studios
After I got dressed this morning I went out onto our balcony and took some photos and video of our view of the Magic Kingdom along with the early morning sunshine and mist on the lake. It was stunning.
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.jpg "The 'Dream Along With Mickey' show")
We had breakfast at the Floridian Café in the hotel. Whilst we were seated and ordered straight away our food took about 30 minutes to materialize. Fe had French Toast and I had a Mickey shaped waffle, they were delicious but just took too long to arrive. Breakfast was washed down with Twinings English Breakfast Tea and fresh orange juice. I also had a fabulous mango smoothie.
We went back to the room to kill some time before our next Skype video call to the kids. While waiting I went out on the balcony to take some more photos of the view now that the mist had lifted and the sun was higher. The kids had just got back from school and were fine and happy to see us. After the video call went to the Disney Studios by catching the bus at the front of the hotel.
A little toe of mine that had started hurting yesterday gave me a lot of trouble today. I hobbled round the Studios all day!
We ate in the Sci Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant which is really cool. It's a mock drive in movie theater and the tables are inside "cars" that face a massive movie screen onto which is projected newsreels and movie trailers from the 50's while the waitresses whiz around on roller skates. I ordered ribs and Fe had a chicken burger. Once again the food took ages to come and when it did my ribs were so cold that I sent them back although they were much better second time around. After lunch we saw the Muppet 3D show which was really funny and has, what is arguably, the best pre show entertainment in the whole of Orlando.
We then saw the Indiana Jones Stunt Show which really put the Universal Sinbad Show to shame and we finished off with the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. There were no Fastpasses left so we got in the regular queue which stated the the wait time was 45 minutes. I said to Fe "well, we haven't got anywhere else to be!". As it happened it only took about 20 minutes to get onto the ride which, as usual, is fabulous.
We had intended to see Fantasmic but neither of us were that fussed about seeing it again when the time came and my toe was really sore by this point so we caught the waiting bus and came straight back to our room in time watch Wishes from our balcony. It was really something else with the reflections in the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Fe then had a look at my troublesome little toe and declared the problem to be a blister so big that if it were any bigger then it would grow arms and legs. I was so relieved that I wasn't being a wimp by hobbling round all day. Fe suggested popping the blister to relieve the pressure, cleaning it with an antiseptic wipe and then putting on a plaster. We didn't have the last two things so Fe kindly offered to go to the hotel shop and get them along with some pudding for us both. I must admit that the toe felt much better after it had been "operated" on and it didn't give me any more trouble for the rest of the trip.
Day 6 - Wednesday 7th November - Busch Gardens
We had breakfast in bed today with a great assortment of fresh pastries, a fruit cup each, Twinings English Breakfast Tea, fresh Orange Juice. Just what you need to set you up for a busy day.
We got the car from the valet and set off to Busch Gardens which took just over an hour. It was a beautiful day again but a bit cooler. We were going for the sole purpose of doing the Animal Adventure Tour that I'd pre-booked quite some time ago.
Once at Busch Gardens we checked in for the tour which was due to start in a couple of hours so we started off by having a stroll around and saw the Alligators, the magnificent Gorillas, the Elephants and the Giant Tortoises.
We had lunch outside and then went off to find the Animal Adventure Tour meeting point. They usually have a group of 12 for the tour but today there was only 8 of us (including Fe and me). Most of the bunch on the tour were okay but there was this American couple who were big, loud and got in the way whenever I tried to take a photo! The woman was something else in her leopard print top, matching sun visor, flabby arms and oversized sun glasses. She also called each animal on the tour "baby". Urgh!
The 2 hour tour was in 2 parts - the first hour was on foot and the second hour in an open back safari truck. On the walk around section of the tour we were introduced to a huge Clydesdale horse. Everyone had an opportunity and plenty of time to stroke the horse and ask questions to the keeper. Next stop was two Hippos - a mum and her baby. Once again there was plenty of time to ask questions while the keepers feed them. Both the Clydesdale and the Hippos were in restricted areas behind the scenes which was really cool. While we were fairly close to the Hippos we weren't allowed to get too close because they can be quite vicious. Then it was off to see the Lions, Hyenas and Limas from the public viewing areas.
We went back to the room to kill some time before our next Skype video call to the kids. While waiting I went out on the balcony to take some more photos of the view now that the mist had lifted and the sun was higher. The kids had just got back from school and were fine and happy to see us. After the video call went to the Disney Studios by catching the bus at the front of the hotel.
A little toe of mine that had started hurting yesterday gave me a lot of trouble today. I hobbled round the Studios all day!
We ate in the Sci Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant which is really cool. It's a mock drive in movie theater and the tables are inside "cars" that face a massive movie screen onto which is projected newsreels and movie trailers from the 50's while the waitresses whiz around on roller skates. I ordered ribs and Fe had a chicken burger. Once again the food took ages to come and when it did my ribs were so cold that I sent them back although they were much better second time around. After lunch we saw the Muppet 3D show which was really funny and has, what is arguably, the best pre show entertainment in the whole of Orlando.
We then saw the Indiana Jones Stunt Show which really put the Universal Sinbad Show to shame and we finished off with the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. There were no Fastpasses left so we got in the regular queue which stated the the wait time was 45 minutes. I said to Fe "well, we haven't got anywhere else to be!". As it happened it only took about 20 minutes to get onto the ride which, as usual, is fabulous.
We had intended to see Fantasmic but neither of us were that fussed about seeing it again when the time came and my toe was really sore by this point so we caught the waiting bus and came straight back to our room in time watch Wishes from our balcony. It was really something else with the reflections in the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Fe then had a look at my troublesome little toe and declared the problem to be a blister so big that if it were any bigger then it would grow arms and legs. I was so relieved that I wasn't being a wimp by hobbling round all day. Fe suggested popping the blister to relieve the pressure, cleaning it with an antiseptic wipe and then putting on a plaster. We didn't have the last two things so Fe kindly offered to go to the hotel shop and get them along with some pudding for us both. I must admit that the toe felt much better after it had been "operated" on and it didn't give me any more trouble for the rest of the trip.
Day 6 - Wednesday 7th November - Busch Gardens
We had breakfast in bed today with a great assortment of fresh pastries, a fruit cup each, Twinings English Breakfast Tea, fresh Orange Juice. Just what you need to set you up for a busy day.
We got the car from the valet and set off to Busch Gardens which took just over an hour. It was a beautiful day again but a bit cooler. We were going for the sole purpose of doing the Animal Adventure Tour that I'd pre-booked quite some time ago.
Once at Busch Gardens we checked in for the tour which was due to start in a couple of hours so we started off by having a stroll around and saw the Alligators, the magnificent Gorillas, the Elephants and the Giant Tortoises.
We had lunch outside and then went off to find the Animal Adventure Tour meeting point. They usually have a group of 12 for the tour but today there was only 8 of us (including Fe and me). Most of the bunch on the tour were okay but there was this American couple who were big, loud and got in the way whenever I tried to take a photo! The woman was something else in her leopard print top, matching sun visor, flabby arms and oversized sun glasses. She also called each animal on the tour "baby". Urgh!
The 2 hour tour was in 2 parts - the first hour was on foot and the second hour in an open back safari truck. On the walk around section of the tour we were introduced to a huge Clydesdale horse. Everyone had an opportunity and plenty of time to stroke the horse and ask questions to the keeper. Next stop was two Hippos - a mum and her baby. Once again there was plenty of time to ask questions while the keepers feed them. Both the Clydesdale and the Hippos were in restricted areas behind the scenes which was really cool. While we were fairly close to the Hippos we weren't allowed to get too close because they can be quite vicious. Then it was off to see the Lions, Hyenas and Limas from the public viewing areas.
Now it was time to board a flatbed truck that's adapted for use on the safari. It had a mesh fence all around the flat bed. There wasn't any seating so we had to stand and hold onto the rail when in motion. First stop was the Giraffes and we stayed here for about 15 minutes and we were handed greenery to feed them. Their long necks craned well into the open top enclosure on the back of the truck in search of food - they could sense it from a good distance away. They certainly weren't "backwards at coming forwards" for their snack! Giraffes up close and personal! We all got to stroke, hug and get slobbered on. I was just glad that I took an anti-allergy tablet before setting out for the day!
Next stop was the Black Rhino enclosure and we all got a turn to hand feed him too with a carrot this time. Just awesome. I certainly didn't think that I was going to hand feed a Giraffe and a Rhino when I got up this morning. After the Black Rhino we went behind the scenes again to see the Orangutans. There wasn't a feeding opportunity here but a long talk from the keepers who use this time to do their various checkups and tests on them e.g. take their temperature, check their fingers and toes, let them play the harmonica, etc. And then it was all over. The tour was much better than I imagined it to be and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.
I have to say that whenever we've been to zoos or safari parks anywhere else the animals have been motionless but this was a real exception. All the animals delighted us with being really animated.
We didn't do any of the rides at Busch but there are quite a few of them. By 4:15pm we decided to go. The valet brought the car round and off we went back to Disney World. We got back to the hotel at about 5:30pm and another valet took the car off us on arrival and we went back to the room... totally exhausted!
We had supper in our room and then headed out again at 8pm to go and see Cirque Du Soleil's La Nouba in Downtown Disney. We caught the bus from the front of the hotel but it took ages to get there and, to cap it all, it dropped us off at the wrong end of Downtown Disney! So we had to run (quite literally) the entire length of a busy Downtown Disney to the Cirque tent. We arrived panting at 8:40pm, we both had a pee and just caught the last 15 minutes of the 30 minute pre-show. I have to say, personally speaking, that the show was better first time around but it was still excellent all the same. I also have to admit to nodding off for a minute or so about two thirds of the way through the show. I know, I know!
The show finished at 10:30pm and we dashed out and caught one of the few remaining taxis from the rank outside the Cirque tent. It was worth the $20 to get a quick and warm ride straight back to the hotel.
Day 7 - Thursday 8th November - Animal Kingdom and Dinner at Victoria & Albert's
Breakfast in bed again this morning followed by another video call to the kids during which Ellie (our 5 year old) burst into tears and sobbed that she missed us. There were various attempts to pacify her but none worked. Grandma Dee went to get a tissue just as I said "I've got one here!" and produced one from my pocket. I waved it in front of the camera and told Ellie to "blow!". Ellie tears were gone as quickly as they'd arrived but it was still a tough start to the day.
After the video call we caught the bus from the hotel to the Animal Kingdom and once inside we headed straight into Asia to check out Expedition Everest - gosh it's huge! It's now the tallest Disney landmark. It really does look like they've plonked the Himalayas in the middle of Florida! I was determined to ride it baring in mind that it wasn't that long since I overcame my fear of roller coasters. Fe really wasn't sure but we both got Fastpasses and then went off to do something else while we waited for our allotted time.
We tried the Kilimanjaro Safaris but it was an hour wait time and they'd already run out of Fastpasses. So, instead, we went into Dinoland USA which is a bit we'd not been into before like much of the rest of this park. We went on Dinosaur which was pretty cool as you're sent back in time to grab a dinosaur and bring it back. Afterwards we had lunch outside and then we did It's Tough To Be A Bug and managed to see it all the way through unlike the time we had to make a sharp exit when we saw it with the kids in 2004.
Next stop was the Black Rhino enclosure and we all got a turn to hand feed him too with a carrot this time. Just awesome. I certainly didn't think that I was going to hand feed a Giraffe and a Rhino when I got up this morning. After the Black Rhino we went behind the scenes again to see the Orangutans. There wasn't a feeding opportunity here but a long talk from the keepers who use this time to do their various checkups and tests on them e.g. take their temperature, check their fingers and toes, let them play the harmonica, etc. And then it was all over. The tour was much better than I imagined it to be and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.
I have to say that whenever we've been to zoos or safari parks anywhere else the animals have been motionless but this was a real exception. All the animals delighted us with being really animated.
We didn't do any of the rides at Busch but there are quite a few of them. By 4:15pm we decided to go. The valet brought the car round and off we went back to Disney World. We got back to the hotel at about 5:30pm and another valet took the car off us on arrival and we went back to the room... totally exhausted!
We had supper in our room and then headed out again at 8pm to go and see Cirque Du Soleil's La Nouba in Downtown Disney. We caught the bus from the front of the hotel but it took ages to get there and, to cap it all, it dropped us off at the wrong end of Downtown Disney! So we had to run (quite literally) the entire length of a busy Downtown Disney to the Cirque tent. We arrived panting at 8:40pm, we both had a pee and just caught the last 15 minutes of the 30 minute pre-show. I have to say, personally speaking, that the show was better first time around but it was still excellent all the same. I also have to admit to nodding off for a minute or so about two thirds of the way through the show. I know, I know!
The show finished at 10:30pm and we dashed out and caught one of the few remaining taxis from the rank outside the Cirque tent. It was worth the $20 to get a quick and warm ride straight back to the hotel.
Day 7 - Thursday 8th November - Animal Kingdom and Dinner at Victoria & Albert's
Breakfast in bed again this morning followed by another video call to the kids during which Ellie (our 5 year old) burst into tears and sobbed that she missed us. There were various attempts to pacify her but none worked. Grandma Dee went to get a tissue just as I said "I've got one here!" and produced one from my pocket. I waved it in front of the camera and told Ellie to "blow!". Ellie tears were gone as quickly as they'd arrived but it was still a tough start to the day.
After the video call we caught the bus from the hotel to the Animal Kingdom and once inside we headed straight into Asia to check out Expedition Everest - gosh it's huge! It's now the tallest Disney landmark. It really does look like they've plonked the Himalayas in the middle of Florida! I was determined to ride it baring in mind that it wasn't that long since I overcame my fear of roller coasters. Fe really wasn't sure but we both got Fastpasses and then went off to do something else while we waited for our allotted time.
We tried the Kilimanjaro Safaris but it was an hour wait time and they'd already run out of Fastpasses. So, instead, we went into Dinoland USA which is a bit we'd not been into before like much of the rest of this park. We went on Dinosaur which was pretty cool as you're sent back in time to grab a dinosaur and bring it back. Afterwards we had lunch outside and then we did It's Tough To Be A Bug and managed to see it all the way through unlike the time we had to make a sharp exit when we saw it with the kids in 2004.
Then it was time to try out Expedition Everest. Up until the point at which we arrived at the ride Fe was undecided as to whether she was going to go on it or not but as we headed for the Fastpass Return entrance she stayed with me. There was no waiting at all in the FP line and, before we knew it, we were pulling away on the ride. I have to say that it looks worse than it is - even the massive drop from the summit to the base. What a rush! I even managed to video quite a bit of it.
After Everest we tried to do a couple of other things but no luck. The queues were just too long so, instead, we hopped on the bus and went back to the hotel. When we were in the lobby I asked if they were serving Afternoon Tea and and we got a table pretty much straight away. We had sandwiches, fresh fluffy scones, jam tarts and strawberries and cream washed down with the best cup of tea since our arrival in Orlando.
Just outside the tea room they were putting the finishing touches to a full sized Gingerbread House made with real Gingerbread. It had taken a full team of bakers 3 days to make the house. It was magnificent.
Back in the room we chilled out for a bit and watched TV before getting ready for dinner at Victoria and Albert's. This restaurant has gained high honours from prestigious American fine-dining reviewers, including the AAA 5-Diamond Award. This was a truly amazing 7 course meal. I know it seems that there's no way you can possibly get though seven courses but we did. Each one is really rather small but sensational. We had a light Bisque served as an "Amuse Bouche" to awaken the taste buds and then the courses began with a White Shaved Truffle, then Seared Duck, then Minnesota Elk Tenderloin, followed by Alaskan Red King Salmon, then Australian Kobe Beef Tenderloin, then a Spiced Apple Gelato and, for pudding, a Tanzanian Chocolate Pyramid with a Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Soufflé and a Peruvian Chocolate Ice Cream all washed down with a 1998 Dom Perignon. Yes, we managed to get all the way through but we did regret having the Afternoon Tea! We certainly didn't go to bed hungry.
Day 8 - Friday 9th November - Epcot
Another gorgeous day and we started it with a character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare Restaurant which I booked yesterday while enquiring about Afternoon Tea. The restaurant was quiet when we arrived but within 15 minutes it was heaving and really noisy. There was a huge buffet to choose from and the choice was quite overwhelming. Pooh Bear, Tigger, The Mad Hatter and Mary Poppins were doing the rounds and we managed to get a hug and a photo with Pooh but Tigger was taking a lot longer to come round to our table and as soon as we'd got our hug and photo with him we did a runner! It wasn't a calm or relaxed experienced at all in fact it was the complete opposite but at least we'd had one character meal which is one more than we intended to have.
We went straight from the restaurant to the monorail and managed to ride up front which was definitely worth doing even though we had a learner driver who had an instructor stood over him - it just added to the experience!
After Everest we tried to do a couple of other things but no luck. The queues were just too long so, instead, we hopped on the bus and went back to the hotel. When we were in the lobby I asked if they were serving Afternoon Tea and and we got a table pretty much straight away. We had sandwiches, fresh fluffy scones, jam tarts and strawberries and cream washed down with the best cup of tea since our arrival in Orlando.
Just outside the tea room they were putting the finishing touches to a full sized Gingerbread House made with real Gingerbread. It had taken a full team of bakers 3 days to make the house. It was magnificent.
Back in the room we chilled out for a bit and watched TV before getting ready for dinner at Victoria and Albert's. This restaurant has gained high honours from prestigious American fine-dining reviewers, including the AAA 5-Diamond Award. This was a truly amazing 7 course meal. I know it seems that there's no way you can possibly get though seven courses but we did. Each one is really rather small but sensational. We had a light Bisque served as an "Amuse Bouche" to awaken the taste buds and then the courses began with a White Shaved Truffle, then Seared Duck, then Minnesota Elk Tenderloin, followed by Alaskan Red King Salmon, then Australian Kobe Beef Tenderloin, then a Spiced Apple Gelato and, for pudding, a Tanzanian Chocolate Pyramid with a Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Soufflé and a Peruvian Chocolate Ice Cream all washed down with a 1998 Dom Perignon. Yes, we managed to get all the way through but we did regret having the Afternoon Tea! We certainly didn't go to bed hungry.
Day 8 - Friday 9th November - Epcot
Another gorgeous day and we started it with a character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare Restaurant which I booked yesterday while enquiring about Afternoon Tea. The restaurant was quiet when we arrived but within 15 minutes it was heaving and really noisy. There was a huge buffet to choose from and the choice was quite overwhelming. Pooh Bear, Tigger, The Mad Hatter and Mary Poppins were doing the rounds and we managed to get a hug and a photo with Pooh but Tigger was taking a lot longer to come round to our table and as soon as we'd got our hug and photo with him we did a runner! It wasn't a calm or relaxed experienced at all in fact it was the complete opposite but at least we'd had one character meal which is one more than we intended to have.
We went straight from the restaurant to the monorail and managed to ride up front which was definitely worth doing even though we had a learner driver who had an instructor stood over him - it just added to the experience!
In Epcot went to Future World first and walked past Space Ship Earth which was sadly closed for refurbishment so our first task was to get a Fastpass for Test Track. In the meantime we went on Mission: SPACE on the less intense version (minus the spinning effect during take off). The pre-ride area is done out like a space training area. For the ride you step into a simulator vehicle and there's a pull out bin to put your belongings in. You pull down your over the shoulder harness and then the console slides towards you - it's quite a snug fit but there's loads of flashing buttons and a joystick for everyone. You're flying to Mars and to do so everyone assumes roles that they were given during the pre-flight briefing, I was the Flight Engineer. This means that you have to press the relevant buttons when told by Mission Command on the Video Com. The take off and landing sequences were superb. Of course the ride wouldn't be complete without something "going wrong" and this was an opportunity for the buttons to flash red, an alarm to sound and the ride to get very bumpy. The experience was very elaborate and you get a bit shaken. Totally immersed and very thrilling.
After Mission: SPACE we went on Soarin' which I was a little unsure about because I don't like heights. Soarin' is a flight simulator ride where you glide over various parts of the USA including the Golden Gate Bridge, a red wood forest, some rapids and Disneyland in California. The queue to get on took about 40 minutes but we were kept entertained by an interactive video wall where you have to do various tasks like toss tumble weeds, grow flowers, etc. In the ride area you get strapped into a seat with a seatbelt and the bench that you're sat on rises up (about 15 feet off the ground) and moves towards a massive wrap around screen onto which is projected the various scenes. To complete the experience they blow air over you to give a wind sensation and waft in various scents, they also tilt the seats as you corner. It's excellent and once the ride was going I was fine and my fear of heights didn't kick in as they was enough evidence to show that it was fake!
We had lunch of burgers and Coke at the Electric Umbrella restaurant before getting a Fastpass for Honey, I Shrunk The Audience. Then we headed across the park towards Test Track but on the way we encountered the Year Of A Million Dreams Team who handed us special Year Of A Million Dreams Pin Lanyards complete with a couple of Year Of A Million Dreams Pins. You couldn't buy these lanyards or pins in the Disney shops. I must admit that up until this point I never really got the whole Disney Pin thing but having been given the lanyards and pins we were instant addicts and spent every opportunity in the shops and Pin Stations looking for pins - we must have spent a fortune on them! It did feel good to get something from the Year Of A Million Dreams Team and really added something special to the holiday.
Then we went on Test Track (but not before I spilled Coke down my new white polo shirt) which more than lived up to its expectations. The first part of the ride is going round a test track inside where your open top "car" experiences various different driving conditions like a very bumpy road, heat, cold, etc and then they test maneuverability round sharp corners and then they test the brakes with and without ABS. The final brake test is a run up to a brick wall but you just keep going to the point that you think you're crash and then, at the last second, the wall disappears and you're outside doing speed tests at 65 mph round a circuit complete with high bank corners. This is Disney's longest and fastest ride. Just brilliant and very exhilarating.
Then we headed over to Honey, I Shrank The Audience which never fails to amuse us.
Afterwards we went on what was undoubtedly the weirdest ride we have ever experienced anywhere! It's called Ellen's Energy Adventure and it's a 45 minute journey with Ellen DeGeneres as she discovers energy with Bill Nye "the science guy". The discovery goes right back to the Big Bang and the start of the Universe. It's a mixture of wrap around cinema and a ride through prehistoric Earth and throughout you're sat in massive 96 person solar powered cars. We were left very bewildered by the whole experience despite the over enthusiasm of some of our fellow passengers!
Finally we decided to have a wander round the World Showcase but, to be brutally honest, we didn't really get it and, yet again, we were fairly bewildered by it all. It's very pretty and well done but we were left fairly uninspired. We got about a third of the way round before turning back. I guess when you think about how many Americans don't really venture out of their own state let alone their own country then it makes sense and has real value but to the reasonably well traveled (like us!) it seemed a bit... how can I put it...? Pointless?!
By this stage we'd had enough primarily because we'd walked so much and we just ached. We decided not to stay for IllumiNations and, instead, go back to the hotel and pack which is exactly what we did. I'm glad we visited Epcot because it was another first for us but the park left us a bit exasperated as nothing's easy to get to because of the layout. However, it does have some excellent attractions that are well worth experiencing.
We had supper in our hotel room and we got to watch Wishes once more from our balcony. While we were packing we started to panic because it looked like we'd bought too much stuff to fit in our suitcases. It was a seriously big pile. So we dashed over to the hotel's main building and trawled the shops for a kids sized suitcase but they were fresh out. They only had really large cases but an assistant did call the shop at the Contemporary hotel for us and they had some. Before we went we decided to finish off packing to see how much extra space we needed but, as it happened, we were okay and no extra cases were required.
Day 9 - Saturday 10th November - Downtown Disney and going home
We were woken very early this morning by a rehearsal in the Magic Kingdom and a very loud one at that! I suppose that's the flip side to staying so close to the Magic Kingdom.
Breakfast arrived at 6:30am and then we did the last bit of packing before calling the kids on the laptop using Skype but the Internet connection in the room wouldn't work. It had worked perfectly well all week up to and including last night. After an hour of messing about including a call to Disney's Tech Support line (who said it was a bug with Windows Vista!) it still wasn't working. So we tried calling using the phone in the hotel room but that wouldn't work either because it didn't like any of the credit or debit card numbers that we keyed in. So, in the end, we called on Fe's mobile but the line was engaged! Fe sent a text message to her mum telling her that we were trying to call and a minute or so later we were chatting away on Fe's mobile on the speaker phone. Ellie told us that she was missing us but she quickly added "but you are having a good time!" in a very chirpy voice.
The call over I then called the bell hop to ask for someone to collect our cases and have the car brought out of valet parking. Once our cases had been collected we went down to reception to settle the bill.
We loaded up the car and set off to Downtown Disney and the Virgin Check In Desk. The plan was to check in, get rid of the suitcases and spend the rest of the day in the Magic Kingdom before leaving to go to the airport at 3pm. However, by the time we'd checked in it was just after 11am and neither of us thought it was worth going all the way back to the Magic Kingdom and besides, neither of us had properly explored Downtown Disney before. This is a decision that I now regret because we didn't really enjoy Downtown Disney! There were loads of people and not that much to do or inspire. We went in loads of shops, had a pleasant lunch at Cap'n Jack's and I bought a sweat top, sweat pants and polo shirt but that's about it.
By 2pm we just wanted to go some place where there weren't any people because we were totally Disney'd out! At least if we'd made the effort to go to the Magic Kingdom we'd have gone on a ride or two and seen some characters. I never did get to go on Space Mountain which I've not been on.
I told Fe that we would be given passes to the lounge at the airport because we're flying Upper Class and that was all that needed to be said. So, we did a runner. We got in the car and headed straight to the airport. Once there I completely missed where I was supposed to drop the car off and parked it in a bay. As we were walking out of the garage we were accosted by a woman who made us drive the car round to the drop off point. "Can't I just leave it there?" I protested. "No, you can't" was her abrupt reply. Having dropped the car off at the proper place (there were big signs that I missed!) we went through security (big queues) and then straight into the lounge which was quite nice but I still haven't been in a lounge that's as nice as the British Airways lounges in the UK. They ran out of tea after our first cup and there wasn't anything of note to eat but we did find a nice comfy sofa.
Soon enough our flight was called and we pretty much boarded straight away. This time Fe and I had the foremost seats which are right in the nose of the 747. We both declined to have supper and just went straight to bed once the seat belt sign went off so that we could get as much sleep as possible. I managed to sleep really well and was only disturbed a couple of times. I was woken by Fe (who, at first, I thought was a stewardess) saying that it was breakfast time. We both had a bacon sandwich, orange juice and tea. Gosh the cold hit us when we got off the plane!
We went home in a very rickety old black cab which was the only one of the Taxi rank. Both kids were very excited to see us - they'd even made a "welcome back" card for us and Dee had bought a chocolate cake all of which was waiting for us in the kitchen.
Both kids have been super for their Grandma and Fe and I are truly indebted to Dee for looking after the kids while we were away. We're just so pleased that they were so good for her.
Just time for a cup of tea, a shower and a quick turn around on the suitcases because tomorrow we're all off to stay on a sheep farm for 5 days while we have a new bathroom put in and a new ceiling in Ellie's bedroom.
So... in summary
We had a truly amazing time and we loved spending all that time together which was, by far, the single best thing about this trip. I can also honestly say that, without a shadow of a doubt, I relished every moment of being there... except maybe when I got that massive blister on my little toe! But quite a few times I was so elated that I just span around with my arms open wide!
This trip to Orlando, my third and Fe's second, was, however, one of many firsts:
After Mission: SPACE we went on Soarin' which I was a little unsure about because I don't like heights. Soarin' is a flight simulator ride where you glide over various parts of the USA including the Golden Gate Bridge, a red wood forest, some rapids and Disneyland in California. The queue to get on took about 40 minutes but we were kept entertained by an interactive video wall where you have to do various tasks like toss tumble weeds, grow flowers, etc. In the ride area you get strapped into a seat with a seatbelt and the bench that you're sat on rises up (about 15 feet off the ground) and moves towards a massive wrap around screen onto which is projected the various scenes. To complete the experience they blow air over you to give a wind sensation and waft in various scents, they also tilt the seats as you corner. It's excellent and once the ride was going I was fine and my fear of heights didn't kick in as they was enough evidence to show that it was fake!
We had lunch of burgers and Coke at the Electric Umbrella restaurant before getting a Fastpass for Honey, I Shrunk The Audience. Then we headed across the park towards Test Track but on the way we encountered the Year Of A Million Dreams Team who handed us special Year Of A Million Dreams Pin Lanyards complete with a couple of Year Of A Million Dreams Pins. You couldn't buy these lanyards or pins in the Disney shops. I must admit that up until this point I never really got the whole Disney Pin thing but having been given the lanyards and pins we were instant addicts and spent every opportunity in the shops and Pin Stations looking for pins - we must have spent a fortune on them! It did feel good to get something from the Year Of A Million Dreams Team and really added something special to the holiday.
Then we went on Test Track (but not before I spilled Coke down my new white polo shirt) which more than lived up to its expectations. The first part of the ride is going round a test track inside where your open top "car" experiences various different driving conditions like a very bumpy road, heat, cold, etc and then they test maneuverability round sharp corners and then they test the brakes with and without ABS. The final brake test is a run up to a brick wall but you just keep going to the point that you think you're crash and then, at the last second, the wall disappears and you're outside doing speed tests at 65 mph round a circuit complete with high bank corners. This is Disney's longest and fastest ride. Just brilliant and very exhilarating.
Then we headed over to Honey, I Shrank The Audience which never fails to amuse us.
Afterwards we went on what was undoubtedly the weirdest ride we have ever experienced anywhere! It's called Ellen's Energy Adventure and it's a 45 minute journey with Ellen DeGeneres as she discovers energy with Bill Nye "the science guy". The discovery goes right back to the Big Bang and the start of the Universe. It's a mixture of wrap around cinema and a ride through prehistoric Earth and throughout you're sat in massive 96 person solar powered cars. We were left very bewildered by the whole experience despite the over enthusiasm of some of our fellow passengers!
Finally we decided to have a wander round the World Showcase but, to be brutally honest, we didn't really get it and, yet again, we were fairly bewildered by it all. It's very pretty and well done but we were left fairly uninspired. We got about a third of the way round before turning back. I guess when you think about how many Americans don't really venture out of their own state let alone their own country then it makes sense and has real value but to the reasonably well traveled (like us!) it seemed a bit... how can I put it...? Pointless?!
By this stage we'd had enough primarily because we'd walked so much and we just ached. We decided not to stay for IllumiNations and, instead, go back to the hotel and pack which is exactly what we did. I'm glad we visited Epcot because it was another first for us but the park left us a bit exasperated as nothing's easy to get to because of the layout. However, it does have some excellent attractions that are well worth experiencing.
We had supper in our hotel room and we got to watch Wishes once more from our balcony. While we were packing we started to panic because it looked like we'd bought too much stuff to fit in our suitcases. It was a seriously big pile. So we dashed over to the hotel's main building and trawled the shops for a kids sized suitcase but they were fresh out. They only had really large cases but an assistant did call the shop at the Contemporary hotel for us and they had some. Before we went we decided to finish off packing to see how much extra space we needed but, as it happened, we were okay and no extra cases were required.
Day 9 - Saturday 10th November - Downtown Disney and going home
We were woken very early this morning by a rehearsal in the Magic Kingdom and a very loud one at that! I suppose that's the flip side to staying so close to the Magic Kingdom.
Breakfast arrived at 6:30am and then we did the last bit of packing before calling the kids on the laptop using Skype but the Internet connection in the room wouldn't work. It had worked perfectly well all week up to and including last night. After an hour of messing about including a call to Disney's Tech Support line (who said it was a bug with Windows Vista!) it still wasn't working. So we tried calling using the phone in the hotel room but that wouldn't work either because it didn't like any of the credit or debit card numbers that we keyed in. So, in the end, we called on Fe's mobile but the line was engaged! Fe sent a text message to her mum telling her that we were trying to call and a minute or so later we were chatting away on Fe's mobile on the speaker phone. Ellie told us that she was missing us but she quickly added "but you are having a good time!" in a very chirpy voice.
The call over I then called the bell hop to ask for someone to collect our cases and have the car brought out of valet parking. Once our cases had been collected we went down to reception to settle the bill.
We loaded up the car and set off to Downtown Disney and the Virgin Check In Desk. The plan was to check in, get rid of the suitcases and spend the rest of the day in the Magic Kingdom before leaving to go to the airport at 3pm. However, by the time we'd checked in it was just after 11am and neither of us thought it was worth going all the way back to the Magic Kingdom and besides, neither of us had properly explored Downtown Disney before. This is a decision that I now regret because we didn't really enjoy Downtown Disney! There were loads of people and not that much to do or inspire. We went in loads of shops, had a pleasant lunch at Cap'n Jack's and I bought a sweat top, sweat pants and polo shirt but that's about it.
By 2pm we just wanted to go some place where there weren't any people because we were totally Disney'd out! At least if we'd made the effort to go to the Magic Kingdom we'd have gone on a ride or two and seen some characters. I never did get to go on Space Mountain which I've not been on.
I told Fe that we would be given passes to the lounge at the airport because we're flying Upper Class and that was all that needed to be said. So, we did a runner. We got in the car and headed straight to the airport. Once there I completely missed where I was supposed to drop the car off and parked it in a bay. As we were walking out of the garage we were accosted by a woman who made us drive the car round to the drop off point. "Can't I just leave it there?" I protested. "No, you can't" was her abrupt reply. Having dropped the car off at the proper place (there were big signs that I missed!) we went through security (big queues) and then straight into the lounge which was quite nice but I still haven't been in a lounge that's as nice as the British Airways lounges in the UK. They ran out of tea after our first cup and there wasn't anything of note to eat but we did find a nice comfy sofa.
Soon enough our flight was called and we pretty much boarded straight away. This time Fe and I had the foremost seats which are right in the nose of the 747. We both declined to have supper and just went straight to bed once the seat belt sign went off so that we could get as much sleep as possible. I managed to sleep really well and was only disturbed a couple of times. I was woken by Fe (who, at first, I thought was a stewardess) saying that it was breakfast time. We both had a bacon sandwich, orange juice and tea. Gosh the cold hit us when we got off the plane!
We went home in a very rickety old black cab which was the only one of the Taxi rank. Both kids were very excited to see us - they'd even made a "welcome back" card for us and Dee had bought a chocolate cake all of which was waiting for us in the kitchen.
Both kids have been super for their Grandma and Fe and I are truly indebted to Dee for looking after the kids while we were away. We're just so pleased that they were so good for her.
Just time for a cup of tea, a shower and a quick turn around on the suitcases because tomorrow we're all off to stay on a sheep farm for 5 days while we have a new bathroom put in and a new ceiling in Ellie's bedroom.
So... in summary
We had a truly amazing time and we loved spending all that time together which was, by far, the single best thing about this trip. I can also honestly say that, without a shadow of a doubt, I relished every moment of being there... except maybe when I got that massive blister on my little toe! But quite a few times I was so elated that I just span around with my arms open wide!
This trip to Orlando, my third and Fe's second, was, however, one of many firsts:
| • | Flying there and back in Upper Class |
| • | Staying at the Hard Rock Hotel |
| • | Swimming with a Dolphin |
| • | Getting into a lagoon full of Stingray |
| • | Stroking a Shark |
| • | City Walk |
| • | Islands of Adventure |
| • | Staying at Disney's Grand Floridian |
| • | Busch Gardens |
| • | Driving an open top convertible down the freeway |
| • | Feeding a Giraffe |
| • | Feeding a Black Rhino |
| • | Expedition Everest |
| • | Eating a seven course meal |
| • | Epcot |
| • | Riding upfront in the monorail |
Having said all that Disney World left me a little disappointed because so many times we were denied from going on rides because of the queues. I know that Disney has the Fastpass system but so many times it failed to serve us because it wouldn't let us have a another Fastpass when we already had one for another ride or they'd just stopped dispensing them out altogether.
Disney World could really learn a lesson here from Disneyland Paris or from Universal because if you stay in a Castle Club room or suite at Disneyland Paris then you get a VIP Fastpass and if you stay at Universal your room key card acts as a Priority Pass. Both of these passes do the same thing in that they let you into the Fastpass lane at any time without having to first book a time slot and you can go round as many times as you like... no restrictions. I, for one, would pay the extra to stay in a Concierge room at Disney World if it meant getting a VIP Fastpass... we do at Disneyland Paris. Something like that would make a huge difference.
On a more positive note I think the highlights for me (apart from spending all that wonderful time with my wife) were the Animal Adventure Tour at Busch Gardens and Expedition Everest.
Next time we will take the kids but that won't be until Ellie is over 10 so that will be in 2013! Maybe, in the intervening time, someone from Disney World will read this and introduce a VIP Fastpass for their Concierge guests. That'd be nice.
So was it the action packed, no time to sit down, going to cram everything in kind of a holiday that we expected...? Yes, it most definitely was!
Disney World could really learn a lesson here from Disneyland Paris or from Universal because if you stay in a Castle Club room or suite at Disneyland Paris then you get a VIP Fastpass and if you stay at Universal your room key card acts as a Priority Pass. Both of these passes do the same thing in that they let you into the Fastpass lane at any time without having to first book a time slot and you can go round as many times as you like... no restrictions. I, for one, would pay the extra to stay in a Concierge room at Disney World if it meant getting a VIP Fastpass... we do at Disneyland Paris. Something like that would make a huge difference.
On a more positive note I think the highlights for me (apart from spending all that wonderful time with my wife) were the Animal Adventure Tour at Busch Gardens and Expedition Everest.
Next time we will take the kids but that won't be until Ellie is over 10 so that will be in 2013! Maybe, in the intervening time, someone from Disney World will read this and introduce a VIP Fastpass for their Concierge guests. That'd be nice.
So was it the action packed, no time to sit down, going to cram everything in kind of a holiday that we expected...? Yes, it most definitely was!
Once I'd got the destination sorted out it was time to get down to some serious planning. Firstly I planned to go in November so as to avoid the heat and the crowds of the summer because October and November are considered to be the best combination of weather and lack of crowds. Fe's mum very kindly agreed to come and look after the kids and, to make it easier for her, we decided to go during term time and wait until the kids had settled into their new school year.
It probably sounds mean and selfish for Fe and I to go to Orlando without the kids but we really wanted to do all the things that we couldn't do if we had the kids with us and that became the mission statement for the holiday. It goes without saying that we didn't tell the kids where we were going (and they didn't ask) so as to not upset them.
After all it was also going to be an action packed, no time to sit down, going to cram everything in kind of a holiday.
PS I apologize upfront for there not being many photos because I mainly shot video. Sorry about that but hopefully the video (see above) more than makes up for it.
Day 1 - Friday 2nd November - travelling to Orlando
Dee, Fe's mum, arrived last night just after 10pm to come and look after the kids while we're away. This was the earliest that she could get here because she had a rehearsal for a show that she was in. Shortly after Dee's arrival I went to bed - this isn't a reflection on Dee but we just had a really early start in the morning.
I woke at 4am and couldn't back off to sleep again because there was only another hour to go before it was time to get up and I started to get very excited! Fe and I had got up, showered, dressed, had breakfast and packed our toothbrushes just in time for the kids got up at 7am and so there was just enough time for a kiss and a cuddle good bye with the kids before the taxi turned up to take us to the airport. Both kids were perfectly fine with us going and them staying behind with Grandma Dee. In fact they were both waving enthusiastically at the window as we drove away... it was almost as if they were happy to see us go!
We checked in at Manchester Airport okay and skipped the queue for security by being invited to go in the Fast Lane courtesy of Virgin - we're not even in Orlando yet and we've got our first Fastpass! On the other side of security we went straight into the Escape Lounge (another courtesy of Virgin) and had some tea.
The flight was called on time, we boarded and found our lovely seats in the Upper Class section. We were flying with Virgin Atlantic and our seats were directly opposite each other with just one seat away from the nose of the plane. The flight was mostly okay but a little bumpy at times. I think Fe regretted having chosen soup for lunch because that's when we hit some turbulence! At least she didn't spill any. I, on the other hand, had to have my meal tray changed because my orange juice went everywhere. After lunch we both had a snooze and soon enough we arrived in Orlando where it was very warm (26°C) and sunny. We passed quickly through immigration, security, customs and baggage reclaim - everything was very slick - and then we collected our 2 seater black convertible Chrysler complete with Sat Nav (which wouldn't stick to the dash board so Fe has to hold it every time we used it!) and off we went.
The guy at the Dollar car rental counter had pre-programmed the Sat Nav to find the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal and we managed to find our way okay. The Hard Rock Hotel is an impressive looking building with a very long sweeping driveway and a guitar themed fountain out the front. We pulled up at the front and had the car valet parked. The check in was very smooth and quick without a queue. The only problem was that we didn't get a room with a King bed that I had requested - instead it had 2 Queen beds. It was a Club Room and the only perk of note was access to the small Club Lounge on the Club floor (access using the room key card in the lift) where they served a continental breakfast in the morning, hors d'oeuvres in the evening and “evening sweets” each night. This sounds lovely but there aren't enough tables to go around so it's always really busy. You also get a DVD player in the room but it's not multi-regional and wouldn't play our DVDs from home so we ended up using our own DVD player.
Other than this the room was nice but I'd leave it at that! The bed was a bit too soft, the room always seemed a little too cool and the temperature control system didn't seem to either cool or warm the room. The safe was pathetically small with only just enough room for our laptop (and we've got a very dinky laptop) and a few other small bits and pieces but only if the laptop was taken out of it's case first and stood upright! Very bizarre. There was a well stocked mini-bar, heaps of TV channels with good clear reception and excellent in-room on demand (movies and TV). There wasn't a bedside table on my side of the bed so I had to use the arm of a comfy chair... but the bathroom was nice. Oh, and the windows in the room didn't open and there wasn't much of a view. However, on the plus side our room was right at the end of the corridor so it was nice and quiet.
Anyway, we settled in and semi-unpacked because we were only going to be here for 3 nights. At about 6pm we were starving so we went down to The Kitchen restaurant for something to eat. I had Macaroni Cheese and Fe had a burger. Both were nice and filled us up and afterwards we went back to the room. I did some organizing and tidying while Fe went straight to bed.
Day 2 - Saturday 3rd November - Discovery Cove
It probably sounds mean and selfish for Fe and I to go to Orlando without the kids but we really wanted to do all the things that we couldn't do if we had the kids with us and that became the mission statement for the holiday. It goes without saying that we didn't tell the kids where we were going (and they didn't ask) so as to not upset them.
After all it was also going to be an action packed, no time to sit down, going to cram everything in kind of a holiday.
PS I apologize upfront for there not being many photos because I mainly shot video. Sorry about that but hopefully the video (see above) more than makes up for it.
Day 1 - Friday 2nd November - travelling to Orlando
Dee, Fe's mum, arrived last night just after 10pm to come and look after the kids while we're away. This was the earliest that she could get here because she had a rehearsal for a show that she was in. Shortly after Dee's arrival I went to bed - this isn't a reflection on Dee but we just had a really early start in the morning.
I woke at 4am and couldn't back off to sleep again because there was only another hour to go before it was time to get up and I started to get very excited! Fe and I had got up, showered, dressed, had breakfast and packed our toothbrushes just in time for the kids got up at 7am and so there was just enough time for a kiss and a cuddle good bye with the kids before the taxi turned up to take us to the airport. Both kids were perfectly fine with us going and them staying behind with Grandma Dee. In fact they were both waving enthusiastically at the window as we drove away... it was almost as if they were happy to see us go!
We checked in at Manchester Airport okay and skipped the queue for security by being invited to go in the Fast Lane courtesy of Virgin - we're not even in Orlando yet and we've got our first Fastpass! On the other side of security we went straight into the Escape Lounge (another courtesy of Virgin) and had some tea.
The flight was called on time, we boarded and found our lovely seats in the Upper Class section. We were flying with Virgin Atlantic and our seats were directly opposite each other with just one seat away from the nose of the plane. The flight was mostly okay but a little bumpy at times. I think Fe regretted having chosen soup for lunch because that's when we hit some turbulence! At least she didn't spill any. I, on the other hand, had to have my meal tray changed because my orange juice went everywhere. After lunch we both had a snooze and soon enough we arrived in Orlando where it was very warm (26°C) and sunny. We passed quickly through immigration, security, customs and baggage reclaim - everything was very slick - and then we collected our 2 seater black convertible Chrysler complete with Sat Nav (which wouldn't stick to the dash board so Fe has to hold it every time we used it!) and off we went.
The guy at the Dollar car rental counter had pre-programmed the Sat Nav to find the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal and we managed to find our way okay. The Hard Rock Hotel is an impressive looking building with a very long sweeping driveway and a guitar themed fountain out the front. We pulled up at the front and had the car valet parked. The check in was very smooth and quick without a queue. The only problem was that we didn't get a room with a King bed that I had requested - instead it had 2 Queen beds. It was a Club Room and the only perk of note was access to the small Club Lounge on the Club floor (access using the room key card in the lift) where they served a continental breakfast in the morning, hors d'oeuvres in the evening and “evening sweets” each night. This sounds lovely but there aren't enough tables to go around so it's always really busy. You also get a DVD player in the room but it's not multi-regional and wouldn't play our DVDs from home so we ended up using our own DVD player.
Other than this the room was nice but I'd leave it at that! The bed was a bit too soft, the room always seemed a little too cool and the temperature control system didn't seem to either cool or warm the room. The safe was pathetically small with only just enough room for our laptop (and we've got a very dinky laptop) and a few other small bits and pieces but only if the laptop was taken out of it's case first and stood upright! Very bizarre. There was a well stocked mini-bar, heaps of TV channels with good clear reception and excellent in-room on demand (movies and TV). There wasn't a bedside table on my side of the bed so I had to use the arm of a comfy chair... but the bathroom was nice. Oh, and the windows in the room didn't open and there wasn't much of a view. However, on the plus side our room was right at the end of the corridor so it was nice and quiet.
Anyway, we settled in and semi-unpacked because we were only going to be here for 3 nights. At about 6pm we were starving so we went down to The Kitchen restaurant for something to eat. I had Macaroni Cheese and Fe had a burger. Both were nice and filled us up and afterwards we went back to the room. I did some organizing and tidying while Fe went straight to bed.
Day 2 - Saturday 3rd November - Discovery Cove
Video montage of our trip to Orlando in November '07
Comments and Questions
Got a question? Please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll do my best to help
Thank you
Got a question? Please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll do my best to help
Thank you
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_01.jpg "Fe with Diego")
_01.jpg "Me having a ride with Diego")
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_01.jpg "Fe in the Stringray Lagoon")
_01.jpg "Fe in with the Stringrays")
.jpg "The 'Big Sucking Fish' Lagoon")
_01.jpg "Fe being pushed through the water by 2 Dolphins")
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_edited-1.jpg "Wishes from our balcony")
_edited-1.jpg "Wishes from our balcony")
_edited-1.jpg "Wishes from our balcony")
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